Being married has its challenges — even when you're Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen.
From Tom's involvement in a "Nannygate" scandal to Gisele reluctantly putting her
career on hold to be a mom, these are all the signs that their marriage was doomed.
Life in the public eye can have a
huge impact on a relationship — and no one understands that better than Tom Brady and
Gisele Bündchen. After a report was released that confirmed Brady's involvement in the
2015 Deflategate scandal, the then-New England Patriots quarterback faced intense backlash.
"I have no idea what happened with the balls."
Not only did the incident impact his reputation, but it's also said that it had an effect on his
marriage. An exclusive source told E! News that Tom's attitude took a turn for the worse following
the Deflategate drama. Reportedly, Gisele found it difficult to be around her husband since his
stress and anger levels were at an all-time high. This prompted Gisele to take multiple
trips with friends and family members to get some distance from Tom. According to the source, the
time apart benefited the couple, and by the end of that year, they appeared to be on good terms.
"We have a great relationship."
The same year Brady was dealing with
Deflategate, he was involved in a second "gate" scandal with his pal Ben Affleck. In June 2015,
the Gone Girl actor visited the Bahamas with his then-wife Jennifer Garner, their children,
and their former nanny, Christine Ouzounian. According to a source who spoke with Page Six,
things took a turn for the dramatic on the flight home.
Reportedly, Ouzounian accompanied Affleck on a flight back to Los Angeles, unbeknown to Garner.
But along the way, the movie star convinced the nanny to take a detour with him to a poker
tournament in Las Vegas. Affleck also picked up Tom Brady, who hitched a ride on the flight. The
source claims that Affleck had intended to hide the fact that he was with Ouzounian from his wife,
but a scandalous photo posted to the nanny's Instagram blew their cover.
In the photo, the former nanny smiled for the camera and flaunted four of
Tom Brady's Super Bowl rings on her hand. After learning about the ordeal,
reports state that Garner was understandably upset and immediately fired Ouzounian. Three days later,
Garner and Affleck announced their separation. This scandal,
known as "Nannygate," called into question Tom Brady's loyalty to Gisele Bündchen. Rumors also
spread that the incident may have contributed to Tom and Gisele's relationship troubles that year.
2015 was an all-around difficult year
for Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen's relationship. Following the Deflategate and Nannygate scandals,
it appeared that the couple was so on the rocks that they chose not to
celebrate their birthdays together. This was extremely unusual for the pair, whose
birthdays are just two weeks apart, and created suspicion that their marriage was on the skids.
But according to a source who spoke with People,
Brady and Bündchen were just extremely busy that year. Although he was in training camp,
on July 20, 2015, Tom wished Gisele a happy birthday via Facebook. And in return, Gisele
posted a photo with Tom and their two children on August 3, 2015, wishing the football star a happy
birthday. Though the photos made it appear that all was well in paradise, we can't help
but wonder if their separate celebrations were a sign of their eventual separation.
It's no small feat that Tom Brady became the
most record-breaking NFL player of all time. That kind of achievement takes an incredible amount of
dedication and sacrifice, and unfortunately, no one understands that better than Brady's ex-wife,
Gisele Bündchen. For many years during their marriage, the supermodel expressed her desire
for her husband to retire. But the couple never got to experience retired life together,
as Brady didn't hang up his jersey until four months after their divorce.
As was often reported, Tom's love of the game was a cause of tension between him and Gisele.
In February 2022, Brady officially announced on Instagram that he would be retiring after
22 years in the NFL. In the post, he explained that other things required his time and attention,
and referred to Gisele and his children as his greatest achievement in life.
"She's my best friend. We spend as much time as we can together."
But just one month after his initial retirement announcement, Brady posted to Twitter to announce
that he would be returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 23rd season. While the tweet
stated that his return was only possible due to his teammates and family members, many speculated
that reversing his retirement could have been the beginning of the end for him and Gisele.
In the years before their divorce, Tom Brady had spoken publicly about some of the issues
between him and his then-wife Gisele Bündchen. In an interview with Howard Stern in April 2020,
the football star opened up about a letter that she had written to him,
stating that certain aspects of their marriage weren't working for her anymore.
During the interview, Brady explained that Bündchen felt that he was too committed to his
career both on- and off-season. Even outside of games, Brady was fully invested in other
business activities, which left his wife with the responsibility of caring for their home and
children. Bündchen expressed that this was causing her to be dissatisfied with their marriage.
Although Brady mentioned that he had made changes to become more of a family man,
in the end, it may not have been enough to save their relationship. The former
NFL quarterback played for three more seasons before the couple divorced in October 2022.
Even if you're an international supermodel like Gisele Bündchen, having a family can
take a toll on your career. After becoming a mother, Bündchen mostly put her modeling
aspirations on the back burner to be there for her children. While her ex-husband Tom Brady
was fully dedicated to his football career, she sacrificed work in order to pick up his slack.
"It's more me. I need to step up."
"Ah, look at him. He knows."
In a September 2022 interview with Elle, the Brazilian supermodel opened up about
her sacrifices and her plans for the future. While she explained that she was grateful for
the time she was able to spend with her children while they were young,
she feels fulfilled in motherhood and is ready to make a return to her career.
For many women, sacrificing career advancements to be the main caretaker for children can cause
resentment toward their spouses. While we're sure that Bündchen,
one of the highest-paid models of all time, wasn't completely without help when raising her children,
we can't help but wonder if this was a factor that contributed to her divorce from Brady.