Tom Brady And Gisele Bundchen's Relationship Timeline Explained

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen seemed to have the ultimate fairytale, A-List romance. How could you get any more perfect than the football G.O.A.T. and one of the world's most stunning and recognizable supermodels? It's a match made in heaven, right? Well, it seemed like it was. Until it seemed like it wasn't.

Ever since they met in 2006 (more to come on how all that went down), Bündchen and Brady haven't exactly hidden the ups and downs of their romance. They've often shared adorable snaps of their family life across social media, and have regularly gushed over one another and the life they built together. Case and point? The model's sweet message for her husband after he announced his retirement from the NFL (of course, there's more to that story) in January 2022. "I'm so proud of you, and of everything you have had to overcome physically and emotionally over the years. I am in awe of your dedication, and of everything you have achieved," "The Devil Wears Prada" star gushed on Instagram. 

But it seems like for every sweet message exchanged between this couple, there has been a report of difficulties in their marriage, which certainly didn't let up after Brady U-turned on his retirement decision. So how exactly has Brady and Bündchen's relationship played out over the years? From touchdown to fumble, take a look back at the rocky romance of Hollywood's prom king and queen.

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen first met and started dating in late 2006, when they proved it's possible to find love from a blind date. There's a fairly slim chance a lingerie model or one of the greatest football players in history is waiting on the other side of a sight-unseen first date. That's exactly what happened to Brady and Bündchen after a friend of the former gave him her number. "I think the one phone call that changed my life was from my friend Ed, who called me one day and said, 'I have this girl and I think you should call her,'" Brady said of that fateful meeting in a 2021 WSJ Magazine video interview. "I ended up calling her and [she] ended up being the love of my life."

Brady and Bündchen's romance hit the headlines in January 2007, with a source confirming the pairing to People after Bündchen was spotted supporting her man at a New England Patriots game.

Bündchen previously opened up about their meeting to Vanity Fair in 2009. "The moment I saw him, he smiled and I was like, 'That is the most beautiful, charismatic smile I've ever seen!' We sat and talked for three hours," she shared. Despite her not looking to be in a relationship back then, at the time of the interview, the lovebirds made sure they spoke with one another every single day.

They had been going strong for a couple of months when Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen hit their first big relationship roadblock in February 2007. Brady's former girlfriend, Bridget Moynahan, confirmed she was pregnant with his child. There were swirling rumors that neither Brady nor Bündchen knew about the bombshell before it went public, though Moynahan's rep slammed those claims to Page Six, hitting back, "We got calls [about the pregnancy] and confirmed them, but [Brady] did get a heads-up." The football star and the actor dated for around three years, splitting in 2006.

Bündchen has since opened up about how she really felt about the big news, telling "CBS This Morning" in 2015, "It was a challenging thing because here I am, you know, thinking, I'm dating this guy, we met, and we started dating and everything is great and then this happens. So, I felt like I didn't know what to do." Things were so tough for the model at that time that she admitted she even considered leaving the man who would eventually become the father of her own children.

Bündchen also discussed the unexpected pregnancy in her 2018 book, "Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life," stating that Brady told her the news, and the public found out the following day. "...I felt my world had been turned upside down," she shared, admitting that the initial period of the pregnancy was a difficult time for herself and her new boyfriend.

Despite things being a little rocky for Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady in the initial wake of Bridget Moynahan's baby bombshell, the pregnancy actually brought the new couple closer together. Choosing to rise from the situation that could have torn them apart, Brady shared his excitement to become a dad and spoke with reporters about keeping his head in the game: "It's very demanding being a parent and being an athlete... Certainly, a lot of people make sacrifices for their family, a lot of people do. I'm dealing with a certain situation, a very joyous, happy situation," he said (via The Boston Globe). A rep for Moynahan confirmed the birth to People on August 22, 2007.

Bündchen later spoke candidly about Jack entering the world, telling People in 2018, "It wasn't the ideal situation for anyone — there's no manual to prepare you for that." But Jack's birth ended up being one of the best things to happen to the couple. "I know this was hard, but I couldn't imagine my life without [Jack]. I call him my bonus child. He opened my heart in ways I didn't even know my heart could expand. I fell in love with him," Bündchen said. In her "Lessons" memoir, Bündchen explained that Jack's birth made her want to have her own kids with Brady sooner, to give her stepson siblings closer in age.

In December 2008, rumors swirled that Tom Brady had proposed to Gisele Bündchen when TMZ shared a photo of a huge rock (which Vogue claimed is worth a whopping $145,000) on Bündchen's ring finger. Those closest to the couple initially denied the engagement rumors, though People officially confirmed the following month that the two were betrothed and had already started wedding planning, with sources revealing they wanted a ceremony in Costa Rica.

Exactly how the romantic moment went down remained a bit of a secret, though Bündchen shared details on how Brady popped the question in 2018, telling Vogue that he clearly put a whole lot of thought into the proposal. She explained that he told her her apartment had flooded, so she rushed out to help him, only to find the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for her. "The whole apartment had candles and rose petals everywhere and then he went down on his knees to propose," she gushed. Ahh, what a romantic! The moment was quite totally smooth sailing though, as Brady was injured at the time, meaning the supermodel urged him quickly to get back on his feet.

Wasting no time! They say when you know, you know, so Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen didn't wait too long to get married. The two officially tied the knot in February 2009, around two months after getting engaged, with People confirming they had a small, Catholic church ceremony in Santa Monica.

Brady later told GQ that they planned the whole thing in just 10 days and kept the guest list very, very intimate, with only their parents and his son Jack in attendance. "We went back to the house and I barbecued aged New York strips. We had champagne, a cake, some ice cream. It was a great night," he shared in November 2009. "I think you always have this idea that weddings need to be 200 people and you invite everybody, and I'm all for it if people want to do that, but I think there was really something special about just having our parents there."

But one wedding wasn't quite enough for this crazy-in-love A-List couple. After rumors swirled following their engagement that they wanted to celebrate in Costa Rica, that's exactly what they did in April 2009. People reported they had a second, still very intimate but slightly bigger, ceremony at Bündchen's Costa Rican home. Guests included Brady and Bridget Moynahan's son, Jack, and Brady's close friend, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

Touchdown take two! In June 2009, People confirmed that Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady were expecting their first child together. A source told the outlet at the time that the supermodel couldn't wait to be a mom to her own kids, as she had always wanted children. Bündchen's first child and Brady's second, a son named Benjamin, was born in December 2009. Brady shared during a New England Patriots press conference (via the Boston Herald): "I think it's obviously a wonderful experience in my life. Yeah, everyone is great. Everyone is great. I didn't get much sleep... everyone is doing really well."

Jack and Benjamin later became big brothers to a little Brady girl. Bündchen was photographed in July 2012 showing off her growing baby bump in a bikini while vacationing in one of the couple's favorite places, Costa Rica. The following month, the supermodel confirmed to TV Globo that she was five months pregnant (via Elle). Bündchen and Brady welcomed their daughter, Vivian, into the world on December 5, 2012. "We feel so lucky to have been able to experience the miracle of birth once again and are forever grateful for the opportunity to be the parents of another little angel. She is healthy and full of life," Bündchen wrote in a Facebook post. The mom added, "Thank you all for your support and well wishes. We wish you and your families many blessings."

While it all seemed to be fairly smooth sailing for Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen up until this point, the superstar couple reportedly hit a snag in their marriage in August 2015 after the notorious New England Patriots deflategate situation. "There have been a lot of stresses in their marriage in the last year, especially during football season. ... Tom is singularly focused on his career and sometimes Gisele feels left out. There have been arguments," an insider claimed to People at the time. 

Us Weekly reported the following month that Brady was supposedly left feeling pretty frustrated by the deflategate drama and reportedly wasn't being the most attentive husband. "Tom's become very nasty and irritable and started acting out on her," a source claimed. Bündchen supposedly made her disappointment known by proving she was serious, allegedly meeting with a divorce lawyer in what would become a case of foreshadowing.

Brady appeared to deny all those reports of trouble in paradise, though, telling WEEI radio in September 2015 (via Us Weekly), "We're in a great place. I'll just say that." People also shed doubt on claims their marriage was in any kind of serious trouble, with an insider hitting back, "[They are] living their life, and they're doing great," while adding that Bündchen had been supporting her husband amid all the Patriots' football controversy.

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen made it past the marriage drama rumors of 2015, only to walk through another rough patch in 2018. Speaking on "The Howard Stern Show" in 2020, Brady got very candid about that difficult time in his marriage. He said of Bündchen, "A couple of years ago, she didn't feel like I was doing my part for the family" (via People). 

Brady revealed that the supermodel made it pretty clear to him at the time that she felt she did more than her fair share of housework and childcare during the football season, but didn't get any help from him when he was home. That's when the couple started going to counseling together, and Brady put more of a focus on his family. "With my family, the situation wasn't great. [Bündchen] wasn't satisfied with our marriage, so I needed to make a change in that," he said, sharing that she wrote "a very heartfelt letter" to him about the state of their relationship.

Bündchen appeared to speak openly about the hard times in her 2018 book, "Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life," admitting things got tougher after they welcomed their children and her responsibilities at home grew, while Brady stayed focused on his career. "You're overwhelmed and tired when you're not the nicest partner," she stated (via Us Weekly).

Another storm weathered, Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen made it through to 2022 when Brady finally announced his NFL retirement on February 1. Brady explained the month prior that he was weighing his options, stating on "Let's Go! with Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray" that he was putting his family first. "The biggest difference now that I'm older is I have kids now too, and I care about them a lot as well," he admitted. "They've been my biggest supporters. My wife is my biggest supporter; it pains her to see me get hit out there. She deserves what she needs from me as a husband, and my kids deserve what they need from me as a dad." Brady also appeared to suggest his family nudged him to hang up his cleats, stating, "It's what relationships are all about. It's not always what I want, it's what we want as a family. I'm going to spend a lot of time with them and then figure out, in the future, what's next."

Bündchen appeared happy about the decision, publicly supporting him on Instagram by writing alongside a family photo, "I have always been here for you, you know that, and I'm as excited as you are for what the future holds!" A source told People that Bündchen had supposedly been waiting for his retirement for a while, noting, "She's really happy because she would really worry about him. She hates seeing him get hit."

As even the most casual of sports fans probably know, Tom Brady's retirement didn't exactly last long. The athlete confirmed in March 2022, mere weeks after announcing his retirement, that he'd be back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for at least one more season. His comeback appeared to have the support of Gisele Bündchen, though. She commented on his Instagram post confirming his return (via Today), "Here we go again! Let's go lovvvey! Let's go Bucs!"

Fast-forward to August 2022, though, and the cracks appeared to emerge in Brady and Bündchen's marriage once again. The former took a mysterious 11-day absence from training with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and told reporters in a press conference who asked why he'd been MIA, "I'm 45 years old, man. There's a lot of s*** going on." As for that personal s*** Brady was referring to? Well, the football superstar didn't go into detail, but, according to the Daily Mail, it supposedly came down to marriage trouble. The outlet claimed Brady had been spending more time with his and Bridget Moynahan's son, Jack, during his absence and had apparently been struggling when it came to his relationship with Bündchen. 

Notably though, in public, the two continued to show a united front. On August 2, 2022, Bündchen shared a sweet birthday tribute to her husband on Instagram alongside a photo of him smiling with their two children. But things only appeared to get worse from there.

In September 2022, rumors began to seriously ramp up that Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady's marriage was in a bad place. Page Six published a bombshell report claiming they got into a massive argument that was heavily sparked by Brady unretiring, before adding a few days later that the two were still yet to bury the hatchet. A source claimed to the outlet that Bündchen had not headed back to Tampa Bay to be with her husband while he prepared for a new season with the Buccaneers, and instead opted to stay in Miami with their children. But it sounded like there was still the possibility for a reconciliation, as a source shared, "Tom is still hoping they can reconcile. Gisele has told him she's leaving him before, and they always made up when she cooled down."

People doubled down on the claims of trouble in A-List romance paradise, reporting, "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," while another insider added in another report from People, "Gisele is frustrated and sick of his career coming before their family, who has always supported him."

Gisele Bündchen made some very telling remarks to Elle amid the rumors swirling about her marriage to Tom Brady, sharing in the October 2022 issue of the magazine, "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." She added that she's always enjoyed seeing Brady and their children win, but suggested she was ready for a new chapter. "At this point in my life, I feel like I've done a good job on that," she added, also making it clear that she wanted Brady to be more present in her and their kids' lives.

The interview came out around the same time fans noticed the supermodel was not in the stands to support her man during his football games as she had for years prior, with People reporting in September 2022 that all three of Brady's children, Jack, Benjamin, and Vivian, were there for his first game of the season sans the supermodel.

Things only went from bad to worse when sources claimed to Page Six in October 2022 that both Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen obtained divorce lawyers, with People also reporting they'd lawyered up. People claimed Brady's decision was in defense against Bündchen, with a source noting, "He feels very hurt by her." Another source previously told the outlet that the couple had been living apart from one another.

Us Weekly's insider claimed things weren't any better in the couple's inner circle, suggesting the model's friends had apparently turned against the football superstar because of the way he'd treated the former Victoria's Secret model in refusing to be flexible. Around the same time, Bündchen made a statement on Instagram by dropping a prayer emoji under a post by Jay Shetty that read, "You can't be in a committed relationship with someone who is inconsistent with you. Read that again."

Both Bündchen and Brady also indicated where they stood outside of the digital world. Page Six shared snaps of Bündchen without her wedding ring while out in Miami with their children, while Brady followed suit days later when the Daily Mail published photos of him sans ring before a football game. Can this marriage still be saved?