Gisele Bündchen's Stunning Post-Divorce Transformation After Split From Tom Brady

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Gisele Bündchen is one of the most iconic supermodels in modern history. Bündchen got her big break as a Victoria's Secret model in the '90s, but since then, she's done a lot over the course of her career. She's appeared in iconic films like "The Devil Wears Prada," lobbied for clean drinking water in her hometown in Brazil, and been a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme since 2009. We've also gotten to see Gisele Bündchen's amazing style transformation over the 30 years she's spent in the public eye. Bündchen has quite the resume, yet her marriage to NFL star Tom Brady dominated most of the conversation surrounding her for years. 

Shortly after Brady decided to unretire from the NFL (Bündchen had been asking him to retire and spend more time with their family for years), Bündchen and Brady announced their divorce in 2022. The two posted on their respective Instagram accounts addressing the end of their 13-year-long marriage. Brady described the decision as "amicable," and expressed gratitude for Bündchen and their children Benjamin and Vivian. "The decision to end a marriage is never easy but we have grown apart ... I feel blessed for the time we had together and only wish the best for Tom always," Bündchen wrote (via Business Insider). Wanting drastically different things out of life is one sign it may be time to end your relationship.

But since the divorce, Bündchen has been thriving. The Brazilian model has continued to work in the fashion world, live a heathy, holistic lifestyle, and has even had a child with new husband Joaquim Valente. Bündchen has proved that leaving a partnership that doesn't allow you to grow and evolve is always the right move.

For a 2023 Vanity Fair cover story, Gisele Bündchen got vulnerable about the raw emotions she was feeling in the months following her divorce. "It's like a death and a rebirth," she told the outlet, going on to tearfully express how she was actually mourning the death of her "dream." "It's tough because you imagine your life was going to be a certain way, and you did everything you could, you know?"

However, just one year after the Vanity Fair interview, a source told People that Bündchen was happy, secure, and had even "blossomed" after her split with Tom Brady. Actions speak louder than words, however, and Bündchen certainly went on to show us that she's thriving. In a year's time, Bündchen picked herself up, started healing, and got back to work. In 2024, Bündchen led the campaign for Balmain's spring collection, looking statuesque in black-and-white "office siren" snapshots that reminded many of her role in "The Devil Wears Prada." She also appeared on the Harper's Bazaar February 2024 cover, posing in an open grassy field that screamed "freedom."

Besides her continued work in the fashion industry, Bündchen has also taken a dip into the lifestyle space. In 2024, she released her first cookbook "Nourish: Simple Recipes to Empower Your Body and Feed Your Soul." The book spotlighted Bündchen's go-to healthy recipes, as well as some "self-care rituals" that the model swears by as a busy mom (via Instagram). Bündchen even appeared on "Good Morning America" to promote the cookbook, showing off two of her favorite recipes.

Gisele Bündchen was born in Horizontina, a small town in Brazil, but moved to New York City at age 16 in 1997 to further her modeling career. When she was married to Tom Brady, the couple split their time between their homes in and around Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, and New York. However, since Bündchen and Brady's divorce, the model moved into an $11.5 million Miami mansion; she also spends a lot of her time in Costa Rica (which was a favored vacation spot of her and Brady).

During her interview with Vanity Fair in 2023, Bündchen expressed her hopes of living in Costa Rica full-time one day. "My dream was to raise my kids here," she told the outlet. "I didn't get to be here as much as I'd like, but now I'm bringing them more often." She went on to describe how she and her family are treated like locals by their neighbors in Costa Rica, and even has a network of friends surrounding her. Bündchen also revealed that she's building a solar-powered homestead in the mountains of Costa Rica, and even hopes to open a wellness center in the area. "I want to do things that I believe are an extension of me," she said. "I don't want to be a character in anybody else's movie."

While dating an NFL player has its pros and cons, it's common knowledge that Tom Brady's complete dedication to football was a major factor in the downfall of his relationship with Gisele Bündchen. A few months before the pair announced their divorce on social media in October 2022, Bündchen was spotted with Miami-based jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente. Relationship rumors took off from there, and gained further fuel when Bündchen and Valente were spotted together in the Costa Rican coastal Provincia de Puntarenas two weeks after her divorce was finalized. The couple was accompanied by Bündchen and Brady's children, Benjamin and Vivian, as well as a few others.

Bündchen bluntly denied the dating rumors during her March 2023 Vanity Fair interview, but a source confirmed to People that romantic feelings had developed between the pair after Bündchen's divorce, and they began dating in June of that year. Since then, Bündchen and Valente's relationship has gotten very serious. In early 2025, the couple welcomed their son, whose name hasn't been revealed to the public. In December of that year, Bündchen and Valente tied the knot in an intimate ceremony held at Bündchen's Miami home. A source told Entertainment Tonight that, since the wedding, Bündchen was over the moon with joy. "She is so in love and happy. Gisele has said Joaquim is her soulmate and best friend," they said. "She has the man of her dreams plus a baby and feels like she has it all."⁠