Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen ended their 13-year marriage in October 2022 after a period marked by mounting friction over the quarterback’s prolonged NFL career and family pressures, according to details revealed in a forthcoming book by Lars Anderson titled Brady: An American Story and the Price of Greatness.
Astrological Assessment and the Breaking Point
The book reports that Bündchen, who has a documented interest in astrology, once told her husband they were no longer compatible as the relationship began to fray. According to Anderson, a source close to Brady recounted that the supermodel delivered the assessment bluntly before decisions were made to dissolve the partnership.
The couple officially married in 2009 and spent over a decade as one of the most prominent pairings across sports and fashion. By October 28, 2022, however, both filed for divorce. In public statements at the time, Bündchen noted that they had “grown apart” and emphasized that their primary focus remained on their two children, Benjamin and Vivian.
Career Longevity and Family Pressures
Anderson’s account points to Brady’s persistent desire to stay on the football field as a central catalyst for the marital strain. Bündchen repeatedly urged her husband to retire, beginning as early as the New England Patriots’ victory in the 2017 Super Bowl. Following that game, she directly asked Brady if the timing was right to walk away, though he chose to continue playing.
A few weeks later, during a vacation alongside former Michigan teammate Jay Feely, Bündchen asked Feely to persuade Brady to retire so he could devote more attention to domestic life.
Friction intensified following the Patriots’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2018 Super Bowl. Bündchen reportedly delivered a letter to Brady asking for greater presence at home, less time spent on his phone and watching football, and more support with child-rearing and her own career ambitions. An unnamed former teammate observed that Brady’s exhaustive routines placed heavy demands on the household, while Bündchen faced exhaustion trying to manage her international career alongside her husband’s schedule.
Retirement U-Turn and Final Fallout
After playing for the New England Patriots from 2000 to 2019 and moving to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, Brady announced his retirement in February 2022. He reversed that decision barely a month later, returning for another season.
Anderson reports that Bündchen was deeply unhappy with the reversal, briefly traveling to Costa Rica amid the tension. Team personnel and former coaches cited in the book noted that Brady appeared distracted, lost weight, and questioned his choice to return when he reported to pre-camp workouts that year. Representatives for both Brady and Bündchen did not provide comments to Page Six regarding the contents of Anderson’s book.
Subsequent Developments
Following the finalized divorce, Bündchen entered a relationship with jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente. The two married in December 2025 and share a one-year-old child. Brady, who retired permanently from the NFL in February 2023 after 23 seasons, seven Super Bowl rings, five Super Bowl MVP honors, and three NFL MVP awards, has since been linked in media reports to model Irina Shayk and social media personality Alix Earle.
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