Honestly, it’s kinda wild to think that Gisele Bündchen has been the "it girl" of the fashion world for nearly thirty years. Most models have a shelf life shorter than a carton of milk, but Gisele? She’s different. She’s currently 45, a mother of three, a newlywed, and still somehow the person everyone is Googling the second she posts a grainy selfie.
We just hit the start of 2026, and the buzz hasn’t died down. If anything, it’s shifted. It's not just about the "horse walk" or the Victoria’s Secret wings anymore. It's about how she navigated a massive public divorce, found love again with her jiu-jitsu instructor, Joaquim Valente, and just recently welcomed a new baby boy into the mix. People are obsessed with Gisele Bündchen because she feels like a human being who happens to have the bone structure of a goddess.
What Really Happened with Gisele Bündchen and the "Retirement" Myth
There’s this huge misconception that Gisele retired back in 2015. You probably saw the photos of her crying on the runway at São Paulo Fashion Week. People took that as a "goodbye forever." But the truth is, she only retired from the runway.
Since then, she’s actually been busier than ever, just in ways that don't involve walking in a straight line for four minutes. She’s built a literal empire. We're talking about a woman who was the highest-paid model for 14 years straight. That doesn't happen by accident. She didn't just walk away; she pivoted.
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The Joaquim Valente Era: A New Chapter in Florida
The internet nearly broke when news dropped that Gisele was dating Joaquim Valente. For those who aren't obsessed with celebrity trainers, Joaquim is a jiu-jitsu master. They met because her kids were taking classes at his academy in Miami.
Fast forward to late 2025, and they actually tied the knot in a super private ceremony in Surfside, Florida. No massive televised wedding. No three-day festival. Just a small, intimate vibe at their home.
And then, of course, there's the baby. In February 2025, Gisele welcomed her third child. She’s been pretty quiet about the name, but eagle-eyed fans recently spotted her wearing a Katharina Junkert necklace with the initials "J, B, V, and A." We know J is for Joaquim, B for Benjamin, and V for Vivian. That "A" has everyone guessing. Is it Arthur? Alistair? Apollo? Whatever it is, the middle name is reportedly River, keeping up her tradition of water-themed names (her other kids are Vivian Lake and Benjamin Rein).
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Why Her Wellness Philosophy Actually Works
Most celebrity "wellness" advice is basically: "drink more water and have good genes." Gisele is a bit more intense. She famously cut out sugar, alcohol, and caffeine years ago to deal with crippling anxiety and panic attacks.
She treats her body like a temple, but not in a "I only eat air" kind of way. Her 2024 cookbook, Nourish, actually has real food in it. She’s big on:
- Morning Rituals: Waking up at 5:00 a.m. to meditate and walk the dogs.
- Food as Medicine: She’s not vegan anymore (she tried it and felt weak), but she’s very particular about where her protein comes from.
- The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle: It's not just for self-defense; she treats it as a moving meditation.
The Earthshot Prize and Her Environmental Legacy
If you think she's just a "face," you haven't been paying attention to her work with Prince William. In late 2025, she joined the Earthshot Prize Council. She’s the first Brazilian to hold that spot.
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She isn't just signing checks. She’s actually involved in reforestation projects in the Amazon and clean water initiatives in her hometown of Horizontina. She’s basically using her massive platform to yell at world leaders about the planet, and surprisingly, they're listening.
What Most People Get Wrong About Gisele
People love to compare her new life with Joaquim to her old life with Tom Brady. It’s unavoidable, right? The "penniless instructor" vs. the "NFL GOAT."
But if you look at how she’s moving in 2026, she seems... lighter. There’s a peace in her recent Instagram posts that wasn't there five years ago. She’s leaning into this "slow living" vibe in Florida and Costa Rica. She’s not trying to win the Super Bowl of life anymore; she’s just living it.
How to Channel the Gisele Energy in 2026
If you're looking to take a page out of her book, it’s not about buying a $30,000 set of custom Globe-Trotter luggage (though she did that recently, and yes, it was gorgeous). It’s about the mindset of "intentionality."
- Audit your habits. She famously says, "The choices you are making are either taking you in the direction you want to go, or they're not." Simple, but brutal.
- Prioritize the "internal" work. Whether it's meditation or just 10 minutes of silence, she swears by it for mental clarity.
- Embrace the pivot. Gisele changed her career, her location, and her family dynamic all in the span of a few years. It’s okay to start over.
To really stay updated on her latest projects, keep an eye on the Luz Alliance Fund or her upcoming collaborations with sustainable brands. She's moving away from fast fashion and toward companies that actually give a damn about the environment. If you want to eat like her, grab a copy of Nourish and try the gluten-free recipes—they're surprisingly decent.