The Brady-Bündchen Divorce

Pop culture power couple Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen announced their divorce on October 28th, and the news was featured on nearly every mainstream outlet for almost a week after. Much of the public was shocked by the seemingly sudden end to a thirteen-year relationship, as Brady and Bündchen had two children together, and appeared to be steady and supportive on social media.

However, as is the case with most pop culture figures, those who were paying closer attention to the couple had been speculating on their relationship troubles for months. Despite seeming happy at a glance, there were signs this was coming, which much of the public now points to as an attempt to find a deeper reason behind their split.

Rumors surrounding their relationship troubles began as far back as Brady’s initial retirement on February 1st, and public comments made by Bündchen on Brady’s un-retirement on March 13th suggested that she was supportive, but that their relationship was strained.

In an interview with lifestyle magazine Elle, Bündchen said: “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 … 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.”

Brady has talked about how life as an NFL athlete impairs his ability to have a personal life and to be there for his family. On an episode of the Let’s Go! podcast, he says “I haven’t had a Christmas in twenty-three years, and I haven’t had a Thanksgiving in twenty-three years, I haven’t celebrated birthdays with people that I care about that are born from August to late January. And I’m not able to be at funerals and I’m not able to be at weddings.”

Public speculation on their relationship really picked up in the fall of this year, beginning in September, when they began to live separately. On October 4th, Brady and Bündchen were reported to have hired divorce attorneys, and, on the same day, Bündchen was seen without her wedding ring.

The rumors of divorce were officially confirmed on October 28th, when both Brady and Bündchen posted public statements on their respective Instagram stories. Bündchen states that they “have amicably finalized [their] divorce”, and she “kindly ask[s] that [their] privacy be respected during this sensitive time.” Brady echoes similar sentiments in his story, stating they “arrived at this decision amicably” and that they “kindly ask for privacy and respect as [they] navigate what is to come.” 

Whether or not they received the respect they asked for is questionable, but it is certain that they did not receive much privacy. Not only did this news headline in the New York Times, CNN, CBS News, and Fox, but tabloids have been constantly putting out rumors, and social media has been flooded with jokes and memes. Zavier Neill, a senior at Central, said that he had heard of the divorce because he “had seen a couple of posts about it” through TikTok, and that “people were taking sides because it’s TikTok… there were a lot of people siding with Tom Brady because they like him, they like football.” 

Wesley Collins, a senior and big sports fan, also said that he had seen more about the divorce on social media than he had seen on sports news networks. David Dorsey, another senior, said that “[he hasn’t] heard much about how the divorce is going, but [has] seen the public reaction and memes.” Collins was the only one who knew much about the divorce beyond the memes, adding “I knew they were fighting over the offseason, and she gave him an ultimatum, and I think it was a crazy ultimatum. It was basically football or her, and football is his career.” 

Collins, Neill, and Dorsey all agreed that the situation would definitely affect Brady’s performance in the upcoming games, though nobody is really sure how much this divorce will impact either party or how much the public will know going forward. Collins says, “I think everyone involved handled it well. It was kept private, and that’s the way it should be.”

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Brady’s Instagram story regarding the divorce