Red Flags In Tom Brady & Gisele Bundchen's Relationship That Predicted Their Divorce

When Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen announced their divorce in 2022, it was not particularly shocking. Prior to the announcement, Brady missed a few practice sessions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and head coach Todd Bowles told NBC Sports, "He's going to deal with some personal things," adding of the football legend's mysterious absence, "It's something he needs to handle." A few weeks later, Brady loosely elaborated, stating during a press conference, "I'm 45 years old, man. There's a lot of s*** going on."

The illusive comments came amid various rumors he and Bundchen were calling it quits after 13 years of marriage. "They're hitting a rough patch. But I know they're trying, or at least he's trying, to figure it out and make it work," a source told People, shortly before they confirmed their split. "There's a lot of tension," they added, but claimed Brady still wanted to make his marriage work. Of course, in a world of ever-swirling celebrity gossip, sometimes, split speculation can be rampant when, in reality, a couple is happier than ever. In this case though, the trouble in paradise chatter was a precursor red flag predicting their divorce, though there were plenty of other signs this golden couple's romance would end with a fumble.

It was obvious to anyone on the outside looking in that Gisele Bundchen made more sacrifices than Tom Brady's did to keep their family together. However, it seemed to be apparent to Brady, too. The football star acknowledged how much time and effort his then-wife put into home life while he worked, admitting on "The Howard Stern Show" that she called him out over their imbalance around 2018. "She didn't feel like I was doing my part for the family. She felt like I would play football all season and she would take care of the house. She wasn't satisfied with our marriage," he said (via New York Post).

Bundchen also opened up about how much she changed her life to accommodate her quarterback husband. "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," she told Elle. Bundchen also spoke about their differing priorities to British Vogue, admitting, "His focus is on his career, mine is mostly on the kids." That's a similar red flag to one observed in football star Patrick Mahomes' and wife Brittany's relationship.

Of course, it's not uncommon for one person to take on the lion's share of childcare (often at the detriment of their own career) or to relocate for their partner — but it is common for that to lead to the red flag of resentment. As psychologist Francesca Righetti explained to Forbes, "Sacrifice is costly because it requires one to give up their own preferences and goals. Focusing on these costs appears to be especially detrimental for the giver's well-being and for the relationship."

Gisele Bundchen wasn't happy when Tom Brady confirmed his retirement in early 2022 and then swiftly retracted it two months later. A source told People, "Gisele has been hoping he would retire already for a few years ... She's really happy because she would really worry about him. She hates seeing him get hit." But after Brady confirmed his return to the field, a People insider claimed, "She was so happy when he announced his retirement, and she wasn't thrilled at all when he went back on that." Another source doubled down to Page Six, claiming, "Gisele has always been the one with the kids. They had agreed he would retire to focus on the family."

Bundchen's irk was understandable, as she'd been open about how much she worried about her then-husband on the field. "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," she told Elle. "I have definitely had those conversations with him over and over again."

Though Bundchen denied giving Brady an ultimatum to retire or divorce ("[That's] the craziest thing I've ever heard," she told Vanity Fair), there's still a major red flag. It seemed Brady finally listened to his then-wife's concerns and it had to be difficult for her to finally have her husband home and safe only for him to change his mind. It's also likely the star believed she'd have more consistent help with family life and his focus shifting back to work likely caused resentment.

Shortly before Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen divorces, rumors swirled that their inner circle had turned on the football legend. "Gisele and Tom's friends are upset at Tom for going back on his word and coming out of retirement. They hate the way Tom is refusing to bend for Gisele," an insider told Us Weekly. While friends not getting along with your significant other isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, it's no green flag, either.

As close witnesses to the breakdown of their marriage, their pals may have been able to provide an insight into the relationship Bundchen couldn't see. Friendship coach and author Danielle Bayard Jackson explained to Vox that it's important our friends ensure we don't lose ourselves in our romantic relationships. "It's my job as her friend to let her know why I feel this is not good for her from the vantage point of being a person in her life intimately familiar with who she is, what her goals are, what might be a good partner," she said. There are also ways friends can support someone going through divorce beyond just picking up the phone too, which likely meant the supermodel wasn't alone when they called it quits.

Whenever two people with big careers that require a lot of traveling get together, quality time together is an issue. And that seemed to cause problems for Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen. Brady openly admitted to GQ that his dedication to football meant a lot of time away from Bundchen and his family. "You know, we find time to spend together. But Gisele understands the job requirements. I get some time with her on my day off, Tuesday, and then Wednesday, Thursday, Friday nights," he said. Though Bundchen took a step back from her thriving modeling career when she became a mom, she took on a few high-profile gigs during her marriage, too. That included an appearance at the 2016 Rio Olympics ceremony and regular appearances at Fashion Weeks across the world. Bundchen also proved she's a supermodel stunner by going makeup-free on the cover of Vogue Italy.

One of the biggest time red flags though was Brady admitting that even when he was physically home, he wasn't always fully there. "After losses, I don't think much of anything other than the game. This morning at breakfast, for instance, I was talking to [Bundchen], but I just wasn't there," he told GQ. Though a lack of physical time together can't always be helped, if the time a couple spends together is meaningful, that can be enough to make a marriage work. In Brady and Bundchen's case though, it sounds like there was a serious lack of both quality and quantity.

Not only did losing football games affect Tom Brady's time with Gisele Bundchen, other career setbacks reportedly impacted their relationship too. In 2015, the then-New England Patriots player was involved in a drama known as "deflategate," when the team was accused of playing with underinflated footballs. The incident reportedly didn't make Brady the most loving and compassionate partner. "Tom's become very nasty and irritable and started acting out on her," a source told Us Weekly. They claimed things were so bad the supermodel supposedly looked into divorce (though they wouldn't go their separate ways until seven years later). "Things are very tense between them," the insider said.

Though they weathered that storm, if Brady couldn't leave his career at the door to the point he was taking his disappointment out on his now former wife, that's a huge red flag. Brady's reported behavior bordered toxic and no one should feel they're bearing the brunt of someone's inability to regulate their emptions. Equally, while it was important for Bundchen listen to her partner to provide emotional support over his work strife, she also needed to set boundaries to maintain a healthy environment for herself and their children. As Nina Westbrook, a licensed marriage and family therapist, explained to Goop, letting outside work stress affect a relationship can spell the beginning of the end. "Each partner then loses the ability to support the other, and they become emotionally depleted and unable to reasonably and effectively navigate within the relationship," she said, marking another reason we're not surprised they got divorced.