Gisele Bündchen Breaks Silence on Tom Brady Divorce

The supermodel is finally responding to rumors regarding her recent split from the NFL retiree.

Gisele Bündchen is speaking out for the first time on her divorce from Tom Brady.

The former Victoria's Secret model is the cover star of the April 2023 issue of Vanity Fair, and in the accompanying interview, she opens up about the details of her split from the NFL retiree, which they announced jointly in October 2022 via Instagram Stories.

Rumors have swirled since the pair's declaration that they would be going their separate ways, with many of the speculations assuming the breakup came as a result of Brady's decision to return to pro football, after announcing his retirement earlier in the year.

Now, Bündchen is setting the record straight, telling the publication, "Sometimes you grow together; sometimes you grow apart," in the tell-all cover story published March 22.

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Calling the divorce "the death of my dream," the 42-year-old debunks the claim that she gave Brady an ultimatum about choosing between their marriage and his career.

"Wow, people really made it about that. What’s been said is one piece of a much bigger puzzle," she divulged. "It’s not so black and white."

The model continued, calling the claims "very hurtful" and "the craziest thing I've ever heard," and providing more insight into how she feels now. "Listen, I have always cheered for him, and I would continue forever. If there's one person I want to be the happiest in the world, it's him, believe me," she said, adding, "I want him to achieve and to conquer. I want all his dreams to come true. That’s what I want, really, from the bottom of my heart."

Related: Gisele Bündchen Just Proved She's Living Her Best Life

With such a seemingly amicable split, people wonder what exactly did lead to the divorce settlement—which was finalized on Oct. 28, 2022—if not the major life decision to go back to the sport Tom loves, to which she says, they simply want different things.

"When I was 26 years old and he was 29 years old, we met, we wanted a family, we wanted things together. As time goes by, we realize that we just wanted different things, and now we have a choice to make. That doesn’t mean you don’t love the person. It just means that in order for you to be authentic and truly live the life that you want to live, you have to have somebody who can meet you in the middle, right? It’s a dance. It’s a balance," she adamantly confirmed.

She further explained: "When you love someone, you don’t put them in a jail and say, 'You have to live this life.' You set them free to be who they are, and if you want to fly the same direction, then that’s amazing."

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As for the future, Bündchen said, "We’re not playing against each other. We are a team…and that’s beautiful. I look back and I have no regrets. I loved every bit of it."

She also went on to shut down another rumor, which romantically links her to Brady's comrade, real estate developer Jeffrey Soffer, confirming that she has "zero relationship with him in any way."

"He’s Tom’s friend, not my friend. I wouldn’t be with his friend. I wouldn’t be with this guy. I mean, puh-leeze. They were saying I’m with this guy, he’s old, because he’s got money – it’s ridiculous," she told the publication, further insisting that whoever planted the rumor in the first place wants to "make me look like something I’m not."

Related: Gisele Bündchen Looks Completely Unrecognizable on 'Vogue' Cover

In terms of her alleged relationship with jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente, she did not explicitly deny the speculation of romance, however, chalks it up to being newly available.

"I think, at this point, unfortunately, because I’m divorced, I’m sure that they’re going to try to attach me to anything,” she told Vanity Fair, also saying she's "grateful to know" him and his Miami-based siblings, as "they have helped me and helped my kids," and "have become great friends, and Joaquim especially."

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Of the relationship, she added: "He’s our teacher and, most importantly, he’s a person that I admire and that I trust. It’s so good to have that kind of energy, to have my kids around that type of energy."

Bündchen and Brady were first romantically linked in Jan. 2007, and married on Feb. 26, 2009. They have two children together—13-year-old son Benjamin and 10-year-old daughter Vivian—while Brady also shares 15-year-old son Jack with actress Bridget Moynahan.

The full Vanity Fair issue hits newsstands on April 4.

Next, Gisele Bündchen Shows Off Her Rhythmic Dance Moves as She Practices for Carnival.