It was the "un-retirement" heard 'round the world. When Tom Brady decided to head back to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for one more season in 2022, the collective internet gasped. We all knew what it meant. Or, at least, we thought we did. The narrative was simple: the greatest quarterback of all time chose a pigskin over his marriage.
But honestly? Real life is rarely that tidy.
Fast forward to early 2026, and the dust hasn't just settled; it’s been replaced by entirely new lives. Gisele Bündchen is now a mother of three, having welcomed a baby boy with her husband, Joaquim Valente, in February 2025. Tom is calling games from a Fox Sports booth and navigating the weird, high-stakes world of NFL team ownership with the Las Vegas Raiders. Looking back at the Tom Brady and Gisele split now, it feels less like a sudden explosion and more like two tectonic plates that had been shifting for a decade before they finally cracked.
The Breaking Point Nobody Saw Coming
People love to point at that 40-day retirement in early 2022 as the smoking gun. You remember it—Tom says he’s done, the world cries, and then, poof, he’s back. Gisele’s interview with Elle shortly after made it clear she was over the "violent sport" and wanted him present for their kids, Benjamin and Vivian.
But if you look at the timeline, the strain was there way before the Buccaneers' losing season. Marriages don't usually end because of one job decision. They end because of a thousand small moments where someone didn't show up. Tom admitted as much recently. Talking to Colin Cowherd in January 2026, he confessed that his final year was "tough" and that "personal family issues" basically sapped his ability to play at his peak. For the first time, the guy who looked invincible admitted that the emotional weight of his crumbling home life was heavier than any linebacker.
He finished that season with an 8-9 record. For a guy with seven rings, that’s basically a failure. But he was playing through a divorce that was finalized in October 2022, right in the middle of the season. Imagine trying to read a Cover 2 defense while your 13-year marriage is being legally dissolved in the headlines.
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Gisele’s New Chapter: From Runway to Jiu-Jitsu
If Tom’s post-divorce life is about legacy and business, Gisele’s has been about a total spiritual and familial reset.
The rumors about her and Joaquim Valente started almost immediately. They were spotted in Costa Rica just a month after the divorce. Fans went wild with "cheating" accusations, which Gisele later shut down with her typical bluntness. She told The New York Times that being accused of infidelity is just something women deal with when they leave a relationship.
The transition was fast, though. Here is how that looked:
- Late 2022: Rumors swirl as Gisele is seen with her jiu-jitsu instructor, Joaquim.
- Early 2024: Sources finally confirm they are "deeply in love."
- February 2025: Gisele gives birth to a baby boy.
- December 2025: A private, "non-event" wedding at their home in Surfside, Florida.
She’s 45 now and seems more settled than she ever was in those Met Gala photos. She’s leaning into being a "traditionalist," reportedly marrying Joaquim because they had a child together and she wanted that family structure. It’s a far cry from the high-glamour, high-stress life of an NFL wife.
Tom’s "Second Act" in the Booth and the Front Office
Then there’s Tom.
Everyone expected him to fail at broadcasting. They said he was too "robotic" or too polished. But he’s currently in Year 2 of his massive $375 million Fox Sports deal, and he’s actually... good? He’s been calling big-time matchups, like the Lions vs. Bears game in early January 2026, and he’s finally showing the personality that was hidden under a helmet for 23 years.
But the real drama is in Las Vegas. As a minority owner of the Raiders, Tom isn't just a figurehead. He’s been active in the search for a new head coach to replace Pete Carroll (who had a disastrous 3-14 run). He’s also been heavily involved in scouting Fernando Mendoza, the Indiana University quarterback who is the presumptive No. 1 pick for the 2026 draft.
Tom is basically trying to build a new version of himself from the owner's box. It’s a massive pivot from his playing days, and it keeps him in the game without the physical toll that Gisele hated.
The Co-Parenting Reality Check
How do you handle Christmas when one parent is a billionaire broadcaster and the other is a supermodel with a new husband and a newborn?
By all accounts, they’re making it work. You’ll see Gisele posting photos of Vivian looking like her mini-me, while Tom takes the kids to his own games—this time in the stands. He recently told People that he doesn’t have much time for a personal life because he’s focused on being at "all my kids' games."
There was a bit of a flare-up during the Netflix roast of Tom Brady back in 2024. The comedians went hard on the Gisele and Joaquim relationship, and Gisele was reportedly "deeply disappointed" by it. Tom actually ended up apologizing to her for how it affected the kids. It was a rare moment of public vulnerability for them, proving that even "perfect" celebrities have messy family group chats.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception about Tom Brady and Gisele is that there was a "winner" and a "loser" in the divorce.
People saw Gisele moving on quickly and assumed she was the one who checked out first. Others saw Tom's losing season and thought he was miserable. In reality, both of them seem to have found exactly what they were looking for. Gisele wanted a quiet, grounded life in Florida with someone who wasn't obsessed with a scoreboard. Tom wanted to stay in the world of elite competition, even if he wasn't the one taking the snaps.
Moving Forward: Lessons from the Split
If you're looking at this as a fan or just someone interested in the psychology of power couples, there are a few real-world takeaways here.
- Priority Alignment: You can love someone and still have fundamentally different goals for the "second half" of your life.
- The "One More Year" Trap: Ultimatums rarely work in long-term relationships. If one partner feels forced to quit something they love, the resentment usually outlasts the marriage.
- Privacy is a Choice: Gisele’s 2025 wedding and pregnancy were kept incredibly quiet compared to her years with Tom. It shows that you can control the narrative if you're willing to step out of the spotlight.
As we head deeper into 2026, the era of Tom Brady and Gisele as a unit is officially a relic of the past. He's building a football empire in Vegas; she’s building a new family in Miami. They’re both 45+ now, navigating a world where they are no longer the "it" couple, but perhaps more themselves than they've ever been.
Next Steps for Following the Story:
- Watch the 2026 NFL Draft: Keep an eye on the Raiders’ pick. Tom’s influence on the quarterback selection will be the first true test of his executive prowess.
- Follow Gisele’s Wellness Ventures: Since her marriage to Joaquim, she’s been more active in the Brazilian health and jiu-jitsu space, likely launching new projects in late 2026.
- Monitor Fox Sports Ratings: Tom’s chemistry with Kevin Burkhardt has been a bright spot for the network, but his "owner" status still creates some weird broadcasting restrictions you should watch for during games.