- Football player Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bündchen were married for over 13 years.
- Brady's choice to unretire from the NFL reportedly led to "a lot of tension" for the couple.
- The couple posted statements on Instagram in October 2022 to confirm their divorce.
December 2006: The couple met for the first time.
Although Brady was in a relationship when he first met Bündchen, they both seemed to know their connection was something special. Shortly after meeting the model, Brady broke up with his then-girlfriend, actress Bridget Moynahan.
And Bündchen has said she knew it was love at first sight.
"I knew right way — the first time I saw him," she told Vanity Fair in 2009. "We met through a friend. 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. I had to go home for Christmas, but I didn't want to leave," she added. "You know that feeling of, like, you can't get enough? From the first day we met, we've never spent one day without speaking to each other."
January 2007: The couple "officially" started dating.
Although Brady and Bündchen had been dating for about a month, celebrity magazines didn't officially recognize them as a couple until January 2007.
February 18, 2007: Moynahan announced she was pregnant with Brady's child.
Moynahan announced she was pregnant with the quarterback's son in February 2007.
At the time, Brady and Bündchen had been dating for two months, and the supermodel later said she considered breaking up with the football star after the pregnancy announcement.
"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," Bündchen told "CBS This Morning," according to People magazine.
"So, then I felt like I didn't know what to do," she added. "It was kind of one of those moments of like, 'Do I just run away?'"
August 22, 2007: Brady and Moynahan's son was born.
Exes Brady and Moynahan welcomed their son John Edward Thomas Moynahan into the world in August 2007.
January 9, 2009: Brady and Bündchen got engaged.
After a little over two years together, Brady proposed to Bündchen.
Although multiple publications claimed the football star proposed on a private plane, Bündchen told Vogue during her "73 Questions" segment that he had tricked her into thinking her house was flooded so she'd rush over.
"When I got there, the whole apartment had candles and rose petals everywhere, and then he went down on his knees to propose, and I'm like, 'get up!' because he just had surgery and had three staph infections," Bündchen said in the 2018 video. "And I was like 'What are you doing?' He's like, 'I gotta go on my knees,' and I'm like, 'No, no, no! Get up, please!'"
February 26, 2009: The two got married.
Brady and Bündchen got married during a private ceremony in Santa Monica, California.
Brady told GQ magazine later that year that the wedding took 10 days to plan and was an intimate occasion that included steak, champagne, and cake.
April 2009: Brady and Bündchen threw another wedding.
Over a month after getting married in California, Brady and Bündchen invited their extended families to join them in Costa Rica for another intimate ceremony, according to People magazine.
December 8, 2009: The couple welcomed their first child together.
Bündchen gave birth to the couple's first child together, Benjamin Rein, in December 2009.
Bündchen later said that she delivered her son in the bathtub of their penthouse apartment in Boston, Massachusetts.
December 5, 2012: The couple welcomed their second child together.
In December 2012, Brady and Bündchen welcomed their second child, a girl named Vivian Lake.
Bündchen didn't publicly announce her second pregnancy until after having the baby.
2015: Divorce rumors swirled.
In 2015, rumors swirled that the famous couple had been having marital issues and planned on divorcing.
That same year, Brady quickly put the gossip to rest in a radio interview with WEEI by saying, "We're in a great place … There's no bigger supporter I have than her."
September 2016: She showed support for him amid the "Deflategate" controversy.
After the "Deflategate" scandal of 2015, in which the NFL investigated the New England Patriots for providing under-inflated footballs, Brady was suspended for four games during the 2016 season.
Showing support for her husband, Bündchen Instagrammed a photo of her and Brady playing catch, with the caption "Don't worry guys. I will keep him ready."
February 2018: The couple made headlines after the Patriots lost the Super Bowl.
The Patriots were defeated in the 2018 Super Bowl, and Bündchen reportedly had to comfort their kids after the loss.
"Just this time. Daddy won five times. They never won before," she told their daughter, according to a 2018 USA Today report. "You have to let someone else win sometimes. We have to share. Sharing is caring.''
Brady later confirmed that his kids were upset but said he used it as a way to teach them a life lesson.
June 2018: Brady said that the couple sometimes talks about how he'll end his football career.
Although he made clear he wants to continue playing, Brady told Oprah Winfrey in 2018 that Bündchen has asked him what "more" he wants from his NFL career.
"I talk about it with my wife all the time. You can ask her tonight," Brady said. "She'll tell you, like, 'I told him, you know, what more do you want?'"
October 2, 2018: Bündchen released a memoir and shared how hard it was to adjust to being a mom.
During the press tour for her book "Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life," Bündchen talked about how hard she found being a mother at first, as she felt guilty leaving her kids for work.
"When I became a mom, I kind of lost myself. It was like a part of me died," she told People magazine in 2018. "I'd been this very independent person. It was all about me. But now I had this little being, and I suddenly felt l couldn't do other things and that was very hard for me."
"All I ever wanted was to be a mom, but when you're actually experiencing that, it's a shock," she added. " ... I thought what a terrible mother I was for leaving my child even for like a day."
February 26, 2019: Brady shared an intimate photo from their wedding for their 10th anniversary.
The quarterback shared an intimate photo from the couple's wedding day on his Instagram. He expressed his love for Bündchen but also highlighted the fact that not everything about their relationship has been simple.
"Ten years ago, I didn't realize how much I could love you and the family we created together," he wrote. "My heart is so full and I am so blessed! I know our journey has not been easy, but the challenges we have overcome have made our bond stronger and our love grow deeper."
Bündchen also shared a similar photo on her Instagram.
The supermodel began her caption by writing, "I can't believe it's already been 10 years since we've chosen to walk this life together ... and what incredible 10 years we've had!"
December 2019: Brady shared his secret to a long-lasting marriage.
On a 2019 episode of E!'s "In the Room," Brady said the key to a lasting relationship is "CCC" — "clear, current communication."
"Clear, like, 'This is exactly how I'm feeling.' And current, not like, 'This happened six months ago,'" he said, according to The Boston Globe. "And you communicate about it. I think that's helped us a lot."
April 2020: Brady opened up about the pair's past marital difficulties.
According to Cosmopolitan, Brady opened up on "The Howard Stern Show" and said that Bündchen left him a note several years ago to tell him she wasn't happy about the direction their relationship was going in.
"There was a couple years ago, she didn't feel I was doing my part for the family," he said. "She felt like I would play football all season and she would take care of the house and then all the sudden when the season would end, that I'd be like, 'Great, let me get into all my other business activities. Let me get into my football training.'"
"She wasn't satisfied with our marriage, and I needed to make a change in that … Her point was, 'Of course this works for you … but it doesn't work for me,'" Brady added. "I had to check myself. Because she was like, 'I have my goals and dreams too.'"
January 24, 2021: Bündchen celebrated Brady's Super Bowl-advancing win on Twitter.
Brady played alongside his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for a slot in the 2021 Super Bowl and won.
Bündchen, who was live-tweeting the game, celebrated his win on Twitter by writing, "Oh, that's the way, uh-huh uh-huh I like it!!!!"
A bit later that evening, she also tweeted, "Yeeeeeah Super Bowl here we come!!!!!!"
February 7, 2021: Bündchen and Brady celebrated after the quarterback's seventh Super Bowl win.
In February 2021, Brady played in his 10th Super Bowl and won alongside the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After the game, Bündchen approached Brady and greeted him with a celebratory kiss. The quarterback's kids also rejoiced at the accomplishment, his daughter reportedly throwing a handful of confetti in the air.
"I'm so proud of all these guys out here," he said on the field, according to Yahoo. "The team had a lot of confidence. We came together at the right time. I think we knew this was going to happen tonight, didn't we?"
February 1, 2022: Brady announced his retirement from football.
After 22 years, Brady confirmed his retirement from the NFL with an Instagram post.
In the post, he specifically called his family "my greatest achievement."
He wrote, "I always came off the field and home to the most loving and supportive wife who has done EVERYTHING for our family to allow me to focus on my career. Her selflessness allowed me to reach new heights professionally, and I am beyond words what you mean to me and our family."
Bündchen showed her support on Instagram, posting a photo of their family and writing, "I know how excited you are about the next chapter of your life."
"Watching you work so hard in your football career and seeing the dedication you are now putting into all your new endeavors is incredibly inspiring," she continued. "There is nothing you can't achieve. I have always been here for you, you know that, and I'm as excited as you are for what the future holds!"
March 13, 2022: Brady unretired from the NFL and announced his upcoming season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
About six weeks after announcing his retirement, Brady took to social media to reverse his statement.
In a tweet and Instagram post, he wrote, "These past two months I've realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it's not now."
Bündchen commented on his Instagram announcement, "Here we go again! Let's go lovvvey! Let's go Bucs!"
September 7, 2022: Sources told People that Brady and Bündchen hit "a rough patch."
Several sources told People that Brady's decision to postpone his retirement caused "a lot of tension" between him and Bündchen.
"She was so happy when he announced his retirement, and she wasn't thrilled at all when he went back on that," a source said, according to People.
"They're hitting a rough patch. But I know they're trying, or at least he's trying, to figure it out and make it work," they added. "He wants to get through this and for things to get better."
September 11, 2022: Bündchen didn't attend Brady's first game of the season but posted a supportive tweet.
Marking the start of his 23rd season, Brady played alongside the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 11.
Bündchen was not in the stands but tweeted, "Let's go @TomBrady ! Let's go Bucs !"
September 13, 2022: Elle published an article in which Bündchen shared her "concerns" about Brady's decision.
In an interview with Elle, Bündchen voiced her concerns about Brady's choice to unretire.
"Obviously, I have my concerns — this is a very violent sport, and I have my children and I would like him to be more present," she told Elle. "I have definitely had those conversations with him over and over again. But ultimately, I feel that everybody has to make a decision that works for [them]. He needs to follow his joy, too."
She also said, "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."
September 16, 2022: A source told People the couple had been living apart for over a month.
A source told People that Brady and Bündchen have been living separately for "more than a month."
According to the publication, several other sources confirmed the arrangement.
One said, "Gisele is busy with her own life now, and has spent time away from Tom in Miami and New York." And another explained that they live "separate lives" during the NFL season.
"They both want to live in Miami, they love it, and have loads of friends there," one of the sources added. "I don't think there is any formal separation at this point, they would like to work things out."
October 28, 2022: The couple finalized their divorce.
After 13 years of marriage, Bündchen and Brady both took to Instagram to confirm they "finalized" their divorce.
Brady wrote, "We arrived at this decision amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together. We are blessed with beautiful and wonderful children who will continue to be the center of our world in every way."
Bündchen also posted a statement on Instagram that read, "The decision to end a marriage is never easy but we have grown apart and while it is, of course, difficult to go through something like this, I feel blessed for the time we had together and only wish the best for Tom always."
She added that she and Brady will "continue co-parenting" their children.
Insider has reached out to representatives for Brady and Bündchen for comment.
February 1, 2023: Brady re-retired from the NFL.
Though his decision to reverse course on his 2022 retirement reportedly played a role in the end of his marriage, Brady only spent an extra year competing in the NFL.
He announced on February 1, 2023, that he was ready to retire "for good" after a lackluster 23rd season in the pros.
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