Tom Brady Reflects on the Difficulties of His Divorce from Gisele Bündchen and His Last NFL Season

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen.
Credit:

Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock; Taylor Hill/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Tom Brady recently spoke to MLFootball about his final NFL season.
• The seven-time Super Bowl champion addressed the impact of a “personal family issue” on his last year.
• Brady’s final season coincided with his divorce from Gisele Bündchen, finalized in October 2022.

Tom Brady has opened up about the challenges he faced during his last season in the NFL, particularly in light of his divorce from Gisele Bündchen. In a recent interview with MLFootball, the seven-time Super Bowl champion discussed navigating personal struggles amidst his 23rd and final season, which concluded in 2023.

Brady, now 48, reflected on the difficulties he encountered, stating, “My last season was tough.” He elaborated, noting, “I was going through a lot, you know, a personal family issue. And it was a challenge, and it just took a lot out of me in terms of my ability to play.”

Tom Brady on October 02, 2022 in Tampa, Florida.
Mike Ehrmann/Getty

Having initially announced his retirement in February 2022, Brady eventually returned to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in what would be his final season, marking the end of a legendary career spanning 23 seasons. “I had 23 years of [football] so I didn’t think I was missing anything, retiring,” he explained. “I felt like I always had a goal—45. I was 45 years old, I wanted to spend time with my kids; I felt like, okay, now it’s time for me to be at all my kids’ games. They’ve been to enough of their dad’s games.”

Brady and Bündchen, both 45, share two children: Benjamin, 16, and Vivian, 13. He also has an 18-year-old son, Jack, with ex-partner Bridget Moynahan. Following their divorce, Bündchen welcomed a son with her new husband, Joaquim Valente, in February 2025.

Despite personal challenges, Brady expressed a commitment to giving his all during his last season. “I tried to put as much as I could into” the final season, he stated. “I felt like I owed it to my teammates and coaches to give them everything I had. I wish it could have been a little bit better at the end. But it was just a unique situation and a unique year for me.”

Gisele Bündchen on November 22, 2025 in Doha, Qatar.

Taylor Hill/Getty

Brady’s reflections on his marriage and family align with a broader focus on balancing personal life and work. In a recent interview, he shared, “I don’t have much time for a personal life or much time for myself, but I love working and I love my kids.”

He emphasized his desire to remain engaged in fulfilling projects, stating, “I like to be busy and try to really stay fulfilled in the things I’m doing.”

While focusing on his family, Brady was recently spotted at a New Year’s Eve party in St. Barths, where he was seen engaging with influencer Alix Earle. Before this, he was linked to supermodel Brooks Nader in 2024, described as a casual relationship.