Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen ended their 13-year marriage in October 2022 after growing apart over the quarterback’s refusal to step away from the NFL, according to new details published in the book Brady: An American Story and the Price of Greatness by author Lars Anderson.
Astrological Friction and the Breaking Point
The book reports that Bündchen, who has a well-known interest in astrology, told her husband that the pair were no longer compatible as tensions mounted over his career longevity. A source close to Brady told writer Lars Anderson that the supermodel informed the quarterback, “We’re not a match,” which ultimately set the stage for the dissolution of their high-profile marriage.
Representatives for both Brady and Bündchen did not respond to inquiries regarding the book’s claims when contacted by Page Six.
Retirement Debates and Career Pressures
Central to the marital strain was Brady’s repeated deferral of retirement. Bündchen reportedly urged her husband to walk away from football as early as 2017 after his Super Bowl victory with the New England Patriots. Anderson writes that when Bündchen asked Brady immediately after the game if it was the right time to retire, the quarterback insisted he wanted to keep playing.
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Weeks later, the couple vacationed with former Michigan teammate Jay Feely. Feely recounted to Sports Illustrated that Bündchen asked him to persuade Brady to step down and spend more time with his family, though Feely ultimately advised Brady to keep playing for as long as he desired.
Following the Patriots’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII in 2018, Bündchen wrote Brady a letter pressing him to scale back his phone usage and football commitments while taking on a greater role in childcare and focusing on his home life.
The Tampa Bay Return and Final Split
Brady played for the Patriots from 2000 to 2019 before moving to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. Though he announced his retirement in February 2022, he reversed course just 40 days later to return for another NFL season. Anderson notes that while Bündchen publicly supported her husband, she grew frustrated by the reversal and briefly traveled to Costa Rica.
Former coaches and teammates cited in the book observed that Brady arrived at that season’s training camp noticeably leaner and lacking his usual focus, raising internal questions about his decision to unretire.
On October 28, 2022, the couple officially filed for divorce, releasing statements that they had grown apart and naming their children, Benjamin and Vivian, as their primary focus. Brady officially retired from the NFL in February 2023 after 23 seasons, seven Super Bowl titles, five Super Bowl MVPs, and three NFL MVPs.
Following their separation, Bündchen began a relationship with jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente, whom she married in December 2025, and the couple shares a young son. Brady has since been linked in media reports to model Irina Shayk and social media personality Alix Earle.
