Gisele Bundchen has said her divorce from Tom Brady was “the death of my dream”.
The 42-year-old Brazilian model and American former NFL star, 45, were married for 13 years before finalising their divorce in October last year.
Speaking to Vanity Fair magazine about the end of their relationship, Bundchen said: “It’s tough because you imagine your life was going to be a certain way, and you did everything you could, you know?”
Bundchen described the speculation that her marriage ended due to Brady’s U-turn in returning to the NFL – following his retirement announcement in February 2022 – as “very hurtful” and “the craziest thing I’ve ever heard”.
She added: “What’s been said is one piece of a much bigger puzzle… It’s not so black and white.”
After going on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2022 season, the quarterback ultimately announced he would be retiring “for good” in a statement shared to his Instagram last month.
Brady won six Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots before adding a record seventh victory with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021.
Speaking about Brady’s illustrious and highly successful American football career, Bundchen said: “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. 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.”
The couple, who married in a private California ceremony in 2009, have two children Benjamin Rein, 13, and Vivian Lake, 10.
Bundchen was also a stepmother to Brady’s 15-year-old son Jack, from his previous relationship with American actress Bridget Moynahan.
Bundchen said: “Sometimes you grow together, sometimes you grow apart.”
She added: “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 realise that we just wanted different things, and now we have a choice to make.
“That doesn’t mean you don’t love the person.”
The full interview with Gisele Bundchen is available in Vanity Fair now.
