Why did Gisele Bundchen divorce Tom Brady? Relationship drama explored as power couple officially call it quits

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen’s 13 years of marriage came to an end after their divorce was officially finalized on October 28. The news of their separation comes following multiple rumors surrounding their split.

Bundchen took to Instagram to announce their “amicable divorce” and said that the pair will continue to co-parent their children:

“With much gratitude for our time together, Tom and I have amicably finalized our divorce. My priority has always been and will continue to be our children whom I love with all my heart. We will continue co-parenting to give them the love, care and attention they greatly deserve.”

Brady echoed similar sentiments in his own statement and said:

“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.”

Prior to the announcement, TMZ reported that Gisele Bundchen filed for divorce in Florida on Friday and Brady’s decided to have no contest.

The publication also mentioned that lawyers from both sides have been working on a settlement throughout October and have reportedly reached an agreement on property and child custody.

As per the legal documents, Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady decided to file for divorce, citing that their marriage was “irretrievably broken.” The pair have also filed their settlement documents with the court but the details are reportedly confidential.

The filings also suggest that Bundchen and Brady had completed a “Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course” and both of their marital status have been restored to “single and unmarried.”

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Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady's relationship struggles reportedly began after the latter “un-retired” from the NFL

News about Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady's relationship troubles came light following the latter's brief retirement (Image via Getty Images)

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen were once dubbed the power couple in the entertainment and sports industry. The duo began dating in 2006 and tied the knot in February 2009.

They went on to have two children together, son Benjamin (12) and daughter Vivian (9). However, reports of an alleged “tension” between the couple began surfacing following Brady’s brief retirement from the NFL earlier this year.

While Brady initially announced he would retire from the league after 22 years, he returned to the field 40 days after his announcement.

An insider told US Weekly in September that Gisele Bundchen was unhappy with Brady’s career move. They said:

“Gisele was not happy when Tom un-retired from the NFL after such a short time. There is tension between them.”

The source also mentioned that the quarterback was “doing everything he can to make it up to” to his wife:

“They’re working through things and trying to come out the other side.”

Another source told People that Brady’s career allegedly affected his personal life and that Bundchen was “frustrated” and “spending time away” from her husband:

“Going back to Tampa after the retirement put a strain on the personal side of his life. Gisele is frustrated and sick of his career coming before their family, who has always supported him.”

Tom Brady took another leave of absence in August to “deal with personal matters” and acknowledged the situation upon his return:

“Everyone has different situations they're dealing with, and we all have unique challenges to our lives. I'm 45 years old, man. There's a lot of sh*t going on, so you just have to try and figure out life the best you can. You know, it's a continuous process.”

Back in 2020, the NFL star told Howard Stern that his career often came between his relationships with his family:

“[Gisele] didn't feel like I was doing my part for the family.”

Last month, Page Six claimed that Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady got into an “epic fight” and the former left their Tampa family compound for a trip to Costa Rica:

“Tom and Gisele are in a fight right now… There’s been trouble in the marriage over his decision to un-retire. Gisele has always been the one with the kids. They had agreed he would retire to focus on the family, then he changed his mind.”

Shortly after, a source made similar claims to People and said that the couple were hitting a “rough patch” in their relationship:

“There's a lot of tension. She was so happy when he announced his retirement, and she wasn't thrilled at all when he went back on that. They're hitting a rough patch. But I know they're trying, or at least he's trying, to figure it out and make it work.”

Amid the ongoing speculations, Gisele Bundchen took to Twitter to share her support for Tom Brady’s first game of the season.

That same month, Bundchen spoke to Elle and said she did her part to support her husband:

“I’ve done my part, which is [to] be there for [Tom]. 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.”

The Brazilian model further added that she feels “fulfilled” as a mother and wife and is looking forward to finding her own purpose:

“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. I have a huge list of things that I have to do, that I want to do. At 42, I feel more connected with my purpose.”

Meanwhile, another source told People that Brady and Bundchen had been living apart for a month and the latter is “hurt” over the situation:

“Gisele has been telling Tom for a while he needs to spend more time with the family and after he retired, she thought she was getting what she asked for. Once Tom decided to go back to the NFL, she was devastated. Gisele is very hurt.”

Earlier this month, multiple media outlets reported that the couple had been hiring their respective divorce lawyers. Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady eventually confirmed their separation and made their divorce official on Friday.