Gisele Bündchen's Mom, Vânia Nonnenmacher, Dead At 75

Vânia Nonnenmacher, the mother of renowned supermodel Gisele Bündchen, has died. She was 75 years old.

The Brazilian news source GZH reported her death, stating that Nonnenmacher succumbed to cancer, though the specific type was not disclosed. "Hospital Moinhos de Vento announces the death of Vânia Maria Nonnenmacher Bündchen this Sunday (28) due to cancer. At the age of 75, she was admitted to Hospital Moinhos de Vento on January 26," a statement from her doctors read. The outlet also confirmed that Nonnenmacher's funeral will be on Monday, January 29, 2024, at the Ecumenical Chapel of the Metropolitan Crematorium in Porto Alegre. A farewell ceremony will immediately follow the wake.

Bündchen has yet to issue a statement, but the model is known to have been vocal about her deep bond with her mother. In September 2023, she opened up about the challenges of caring for her parents amid their health struggles. "It's been very tough on my family. It's been a lot — in every area of my life," she told People at the time. "I feel like whenever it rains, it pours. With all the different twists and turns that life takes, all we can do is the best we can given what happens in our surroundings."

Gisele Bündchen and Vânia Nonnenmacher were known to be incredibly close. Nonnenmacher, who worked as a teller at Banco do Brasil employee and raised six daughters, served as a pillar of support for Bündchen's aspiration. She initially didn't seek to be a model, but Nonnenmacher's encouragement was pivotal when the opportunity came. In fact, it was Nonnenmacher's decision to enroll her daughter in a modeling course to help with her posture that ultimately led to Bündchen being discovered by a modeling agency.

At the young age of 14, Bündchen had to relocate first to São Paulo and then to Tokyo for her modeling career. "You went into the world by yourself," Nonnenmacher told Bündchen in an interview with

Elle

. "But I knew the daughter I had raised, the daughter I had at home. I trusted you a lot and always believed in you." Nonnenmacher admitted that it was hard to let Bündchen go at such a young age, but she placed her trust in Bündchen's upbringing and values.

Bündchen is grateful for all the things she learned from her mom, especially the unwavering support and attention she and her sisters received. "She [Nonnenmacher] always worked hard and prized discipline. Looking back, I learned a great deal from her dedication to her family and home," she told The Wall Street Journal. "She worked seven days a week but was always available to us. It wasn't as if she read us books. There were too many of us for that. But she was always there for a hug."