Going through their ups and downs. Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen‘s relationship became a topic of conversation after the football player walked back his decision to leave the NFL.
The couple exchanged vows in 2009 after nearly three years of dating. Later that year, Brady and Bündchen expanded their family with son Benjamin. Their daughter, Vivian, arrived three years later. (The athlete, for his part, also shares son Jack with ex Bridget Moynahan.)
Brady previously praised his wife for shifting her focus toward their family. “I think my wife has, you know, held down the house for a long time now, and I think there’s things that she wants to accomplish,” he said on his “Let’s Go” podcast in September 2021. “You know, she hasn’t worked as much in the last 10, 12 years … But that’s an issue, and it’s a very difficult issue to reconcile without just saying, ‘Hey, it’s time to retire.'”
In February 2022, the California native made headlines when he announced his retirement after 20 years as a professional quarterback. Six weeks later, the football player confirmed his plans to return.
“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback wrote via Twitter in March 2022. “That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG.”
Brady later broke down why he reconsidered his initial career shift. “There was a lot of decisions that are made and everything. I think the point is everything really comes at a cost — to choose one thing and not another,” he exclusively told Us Weekly in June 2022 about making time for his personal and professional life. “I just got to make sure I have things balanced out the way that I need to have them balanced out at.”
The podcast host continued: “So, I think for me, it’s just a matter of making sure in the off-season, I try to cover a lot of things and make sure a lot of things are taken care of. And then when a football season comes, I can really focus on football.”
At the time, Brady noted that he was still working on finding his footing with his loved ones, adding, “[During] the off-season, my family’s got a lot of time. I’ve enjoyed that. I can still do a better job of that. It’s just constantly trying to be a little bit better each day.”
The Brazil native also offered a glimpse at her thoughts on her husband’s decision.
“I’ve done my part, which is [to] be there for [Tom],” Bündchen told Elle in her October 2022 cover story. “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. Seeing my children succeed and become the beautiful little humans that they are, seeing him succeed, and being fulfilled in his career — it makes me happy. At this point in my life, I feel like I’ve done a good job on that.”
The model added: “Obviously, I have my concerns [with him returning to football] — this is a very violent sport, and I have my children and I would like him to be more present. 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.”
That same month, news broke that Bündchen was living separately from Brady amid split speculation. “Tom and Gisele are still not seeing eye to eye regarding his retirement,” a source exclusively told Us in September 2022.
The insider noted that Brady’s decision to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers caused a major strain in his marriage. Bündchen and Brady, for their part, have both remained tight-lipped on the status of their relationship.
Scroll down for everything to know about where Bündchen and Brady stand now:
The NFL player initially announced his retirement in February 2022, but he walked back the career move less than two months later. David J Phillip/AP/Shutterstock
Amid split speculation, a source exclusively told Us in September 2022 that the pair were "currently living in separate houses" but were still communicating. Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
In October 2022, Us confirmed that Bündchen and Brady hired divorce attorneys after 12 years of marriage. "Gisele is waiting for Tom to make a big gesture of support to her,” an insider revealed to Us, adding that the twosome remains “at odds with each other.” Mark Humphrey/AP/Shutterstock
Shortly after news broke about Bündchen and Brady's initial steps toward a divorce, the supermodel was spotted without her wedding ring. That same month, Bündchen took to Instagram to show support for purpose coach Jay Shetty's quote about a complicated romance. "You can't be in a committed relationship with someone who is inconsistent with you. Read that again," Shetty wrote. Bündchen "liked" the post and replied with a prayer hands emoji. Gregory Pace/Shutterstock; Masatoshi Okauchi/Shutterstock
After returning to the football field, Brady raised eyebrows in October 2022 when he expanded into another sport by purchasing the rights to a Major League Pickleball team. That same month, the athlete was spotted on two separate occasions without his wedding ring. Tyler Kaufman/AP/Shutterstock
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