NFL icon and supermodel announce divorce
NFL icon Tom Brady and supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen have announced they are divorcing after 13 years of marriage, following months of media attention on their relationship.
Brady, 45, confirmed the news in an Instagram post on Friday in which he said the pair had “arrived at this decision to end our marriage after much consideration.”
“In recent days, my wife and I finalized our divorce from one another after 13 years of marriage. We arrived at this decision amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together,” wrote the seven-time Super Bowl winner.
“We are blessed with beautiful and wonderful children who will continue to be the center of our world in every way. We will continue to work together as parents to always ensure they receive the love and attention they deserve.”
Brady said the decision to divorce was “painful and difficult,” but that he and Bundchen “wish only the best for each other as we pursue whatever new chapters in our lives that are yet to be written.”
Bundchen, 42, issued a statement in which she said the pair had “grown apart.”
“While it is, of course, difficult to go through something like this, I feel blessed for the time we spent together and only wish the best for Tom always,” added the fashion model.
The Brazilian-born model is said to have filed divorce papers in Florida on Friday morning, with Brady not contesting the decision.
The documents list the marriage as being “irretrievably broken,” according to US outlet TMZ.
Brady and Bundchen have two children together, 12-year-old son Benjamin and daughter Vivian, 9, while Brady also has a son Jack, 15, from a previous relationship with actress Bridget Moynahan.
A settlement on property and child custody is said to have been reached but will not be publicly disclosed.
The state of Brady and Bundchen’s marriage has been the source of intense speculation in the US media and beyond in recent months.
Brady reversed a decision to retire earlier this year, opting to return to the NFL for a 23rd season in a move which appeared to be supported – at least publicly – by his wife.
But the veteran quarterback took an 11-day break from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ camp ahead of the season for what were described as “personal” reasons.
That fueled rumors that all was not well in his private life with Bundchen, who is one of the world’s most successful glamor models.
The NFL season has started in mixed fashion for Brady and the Bucs, who have lost three straight games and hold a 3-5 record, putting them second in the NFC South standings.
Brady has cut a frustrated figure at times, being seen demolishing tablets and remonstrating with teammates on the sidelines.
Brady and the Bucs will hope to reverse their slump and recapture some of the form which led them to the Super Bowl title in 2021.
