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“I’ve done my part,” she told ‘Elle’ magazine.”And now it’s going to be my turn.”
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen have a classic love story.
Boy (NFL professional quarterback) meets girl (supermodel). They fall in love, have children, and move a couple of times due to boy’s job. Sure, he might have won a few Super Bowls in between (seven).
But before Tom was ~the GOAT~, he dated Bridget Moynahan and they had a son together. Meanwhile, Gisele dated Leonardo DiCaprio until she was 25 years old (insert joke here). Throughout their relationship, the Tom and Gisele have been pretty public about their love for one another, whether it’s IRL on the Met Gala red carpet, or on Instagram. (Like, especially on Instagram.)
But since Tom retired in February, and then un-retired six weeks later, there’s been speculation on the state of his relationship with Gisele. It’s no secret that she’s hoped he would spend more time with their family, like she has for so many years, since she put her modeling career on pause to take care of their children.
Ahead, find out all the details of their relationship, including how they met, their public hardships, and where they stand now.
A friend set them up on a blind date, per PEOPLE. Right away, Gisele knew that Tom was the one for her.
“The moment I saw him, he smiled and I was like, ‘That is the most beautiful, charismatic smile I’ve ever seen!’ We sat and talked for three hours,” she told Vanity Fair in 2009. “You know that feeling of, like, you can’t get enough? From the first day we met, we’ve never spent one day without speaking to each other.” Aww!
After the New England Patriots played and won against the San Diego Chargers, a representative for the Chargers said they were “100 percent sure” they saw Gisele in the stands at the game, per PEOPLE. It was later confirmed to the publication that they started dating “just before Christmas.”
News came out that Tom was expecting a child with his ex-girlfriend, Bridget Moynahan, whom he dated from 2004 to 2006, per Us Weekly.
“Two months into our relationship, Tom told me that his ex-girlfriend was pregnant,” Gisele wrote in Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life, her memoir which came out in 2018, according to Us Weekly. “The very next day, the news was everywhere and I felt my world had been turned upside down.”
When Bridget gave birth on August 22, Gisele was overjoyed at seeing Tom as a father. In her memoir, she calls Tom’s oldest son, John, her “bonus child,” wrote Us Weekly. She also told PEOPLE that she was “so grateful” for Bridget.
After two years of what we can expect to be smooth sailing as a couple, Gisele and Tom got engaged, per Us Weekly. He proposed with a diamond solitaire ring, as reported by PEOPLE.
When you know, you know.
They got hitched in a church in Santa Monica and “planned it in like 10 days, and it was perfect,” Tom told GQ in November of that year. Both sets of parents were there and Tom barbecued New York strips and they enjoyed champagne, cake, and ice cream.
Tom and Gisele then threw a larger celebration with about 40 people, including extended family, according to GQ.
“The day’s for you," he said. "It’s nothing personal against anybody, but it’s not about them. It’s about what you and your wife need for that day."
Gisele gave birth to Benjamin Rein Brady on December 8. They opted for a home birth, which Tom originally didn’t want, but then came around to the idea, per PEOPLE.
"Me being there with G at his birth in our home, it lives in my mind. I think we brought this boy into the world in the most precious way," he said in the ESPN+ series Man in the Arena: Tom Brady.
Nearly three years later, Gisele gave birth to Vivian Lake Brady on December 5.
After the NFL scandal fueled by rumors that Tom wanted balls deflated during the AFC championship game in the 2014-2015 NFL playoffs, a source close to US Weekly said things were “very tense” between the couple.
There were even rumors that the couple was getting a divorce, per PEOPLE. But Tom denied the rumors shortly after, telling a Boston radio station that they were in a “great place.”
Gisele’s memoir,Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life, was released on October 2, 2018. In the book, she detailed that raising their first child together wasn’t super easy.
“You’re overwhelmed and tired when you’re not the nicest partner,” she wrote about the experience, per Us Weekly.
Gisele was ecstatic for Tom once the New England Patriots defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game, meaning Tom would return to the Super Bowl a ninth time, according to Us Weekly.
In his interview after the game, he gave her a special shoutout. “"I first want to say hi to my wife, I love you so much,” Tom said.
Both Tom and Gisele posted their wedding photos with long captions.
Tom wrote: “Ten years ago, I didn’t realize how much I could love you and the family we created together. My heart is so full and I am so blessed! I know our journey has not been easy, but the challenges we have overcome have made our bond stronger and our love grow deeper. Thank you for loving me, for supporting my dreams, and for nurturing our family in the way that only you could. You are my rock, my love and my light! I love you and I love our family!”
Gisele wrote: “I can’t believe it’s already been 10 years since we’ve chose to walk this life together… and what incredible 10 years we’ve had! There is nothing that I love more in this world than you and our family. Thank you for being on this journey with me and for doing the work that it takes to make it so special. May we continue growing together, walking side by side supporting and loving one another for many many years to come. Te amo tanto❤”
Earlier in the month, they also celebrated Gisele’s environmental activism when she was honored at the 2019 Hollywood for Science Gala in Los Angeles. "She’s inspiring me in so many ways. It’s really special for her, and I love that she’s here celebrating," Brady said, according to PEOPLE.
A few points about Gisele were brought up in the story:
“CCC,” is the secret—meaning, “clear, current, communication,” he said on the series premiere of In the Room on E!, per Us Weekly. “Like, ‘This is exactly how I’m feeling.’ And current, not like, ‘This happened six months ago.’ And you communicate about it. I think that’s helped us a lot.”
He continued, “It’s not like because I’m a football player, her life is going to stop. The challenging part for us is we are very ambitious people. A lot of the times, I’m going one direction and she’s going in the other. Its ships passing in the night. I’m going to football, and she’s got things she’s doing, and oh, by the way, the kids,” as reported by Us Weekly.
Tom made a huge career move when he left the New England Patriots after 20 seasons and officially signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he’s played for years 21, 22, and 23 of his career. (But more on that later.)
Tom goes on The Howard Stern Show on April 8, where he opened up about their relationship.
“There was a couple years ago, she didn’t feel I was doing my part for the family,” he said, according to Us Weekly. “She felt like I would play football all season and she would take care of the house, and then all the sudden when the season would end, that I’d be like, ‘Great, let me get into all my other business activities. Let me get into my football training.’ And she’s sitting there going, ‘Well, when are you going to do things for the house? When are you going to take the kids to school and do that?’”
He also mentioned that he made a “big transition” to help clear up their problems, because she “wasn’t satisfied” with the marriage, per Us Weekly.
“This added time together is such a gift,” a source close to Us Weekly said. “They’re making the most of it during the off-season and prioritizing family time before training really kicks into high gear for Tom.”
Tom went on Dax Shepard’s podcast, “Armchair Expert,” and mentioned that sex with Gisele isn’t part of his pre-game ritual.
“Oh man, that’s probably off the table. I wouldn’t say it’s probably never happened, but I don’t think that would be the moment,” he said, according to Us Weekly.
After just one year with the Bucs, he did it again, and Gisele was super excited for him.
She wrote a long paragraph about it on IG, actually:
“Congratulations Bucs for an incredible team win last night!!! A lot of people didn’t believe you could do it, but you all showed that with time, dedication, trust in one another and with teamwork anything is possible. Congratulations my love! Over the years I have seen you overcome so much adversity, physically and emotionally. I can for sure say you are the most dedicated, focused and mentally tough person I have ever meet. It has been a challenging year and watching you in a new environment, putting in the extra time to get to know and support your teammates, working with your new coaches with respect and grace, waking up extra early every day to deal with the bumps and bruises of playing football, never complaining, you just kept focusing on your goal to go out there and be the best leader you can be. I am so proud of the man you are and I am so happy to see the smile on your face every time you get to go out there and throw that ball. Now, we are so happy that we get to have you home for a little while (well, at least until next season ?) You have earned all your success! Te amo❤️”
On his “Let’s Go” podcast, Tom talked about how difficult it was to navigate raising kids with his marriage, since Gisele stopped working to take care of their children, notes Us Weekly.
“It’s a very difficult issue to reconcile without just saying, ‘Hey, it’s time to retire,’" he said. "I think my wife has, you know, held down the house for a long time now, and I think there’s things that she wants to accomplish. You know, she hasn’t worked as much in the last ten, twelve years just raising our family and kind of committing to being in a life in Boston and then moving to Florida."
He discussed his next career move on his podcast, saying that he wants to spend more time with his family and wife, per Us Weekly. “My wife is my biggest supporter,” he said. “She deserves what she needs from me as a husband and my kids deserve what they need from me as a dad.”
“I’m gonna spend some time with them and give them what they need, ’cause they’ve really been giving me what I need the last six months to do what I love to do,” he continued.
And he honored Gisele and their family big time through his Instagram post.
On February 1, he wrote: “To my wife, Gisele, and my children, Jack, Benny, and Vivi. You are my inspiration. Our family is my greatest achievement. I always came off the field and home to the most loving and supportive wife who has done EVERYTHING for our family to allow me to focus on my career. Her selflessness allowed me to reach new heights professionally, and I am beyond words what you mean to me and our family. Te amo amor da minha vida.”
Meanwhile, Gisele posted a carousel of photos celebrating his retirement too, along with paragraphs on paragraphs of a caption.
“I know how excited you are about the next chapter of your life,” she put in the last paragraph. “Watching you work so hard in your football career and seeing the dedication you are now putting into all your new endeavors is incredibly inspiring. There is nothing you can’t achieve. I have always been here for you, you know that, and I’m as excited as you are for what the future holds!”
Six weeks after retiring, he pulled a Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski and un-retired.
“These past two months I have realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands," he wrote. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. Without them, none of this is possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. We have unfinished business. LFG.”
As a Tampa native and Buccaneers fan myself…I screamed. I’ll just say that.
While Gisele didn’t make a full post to celebrate his un-retirement, she did comment on his post, per Us Weekly: “Here we go again! Let’s go lovvvey! Let’s go Bucs!”
And he said it was because of personal reasons. When asked by reporters, he said: “Everyone has different situations they’re dealing with, and we all have unique challenges to our lives," he said, per PEOPLE. "I’m 45 years old, man. There’s a lot of shit going on, so you just have to try and figure out life the best you can. You know, it’s a continuous process."
“Gisele was not happy when Tom un-retired from the NFL after such a short time,” a source told Us Weekly. “Tom is doing everything he can to make it up to her, they’re working through things and trying to come out the other side.”
In early September, they spent time with their kids separately. Brady flew to New York to watch his son Jack’s football team practice, while Gisele spent time with the kids at a water park in Aventura, Florida, on September 4, per PEOPLE.
On September 11, the Buccaneers played their first regular season game against the Dallas Cowboys, in Dallas. While Gisele wasn’t there, she tweeted "Let’s go @TomBrady! Let’s go Bucs! ✨✨✨.”
On September 13, Gisele was the cover story for ELLE’s September issue, and she had some things to say about their marriage and his career.
For one, the public’s characterization of her wanting Tom to retire feels sexist. “I think this is the system we’ve been living in. That’s what society has accepted and what society hasn’t accepted, she told ELLE. “Obviously, I have my concerns—this is a very violent sport, and I have my children and I would like him to be more present,” she continued. “I have definitely had those conversations with him over and over again.” Ultimately, though, she wants him to be happy.
But she declined to comment on the fact that on September 6, she had returned to Florida from Costa Rica, but the pair “hadn’t reconciled” per Page Six, when asked for the ELLE cover story.
“I’ve done my part, which is [to] be there for [Tom],” she told ELLE. “I moved to Boston, and I focused on creating a cocoon and a loving environment for my children to grow up in and to be there supporting him and his dreams. Seeing my children succeed and become the beautiful little humans that they are, seeing him succeed, and being fulfilled in his career—it makes me happy. At this point in my life, I feel like I’ve done a good job on that.”
Addison Aloian (she/her) is an editorial assistant at Women’s Health. When she’s not writing about all things pop culture, health, beauty, and fashion, she loves hitting leg day at the gym, shopping at Trader Joe’s, and watching whichever hockey game is on TV. Her work has also appeared in Allure, StyleCaster, L’Officiel USA, V Magazine, and Modern Luxury Media.
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