“Sometimes you grow together; sometimes you grow apart,” Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen famously said in her interview with Vanity Fair, describing the progression of two intellectual individuals bound together by love and vows. But love is not always enough to hold a pair together. 

As she explains, “When you love someone, you don’t put them in jail…You set them free to be who they are.” If flying in the same direction is what suits both, “then that’s amazing,” but with how matters turned out for the former power couple, it can be deduced that each chose their own path that led different ways. Bündchen finally breaks her silence about her break up, addressing all the headlines that accused her of holding her husband’s career against the fate of their marriage. 

“The death of my dream”: Bündchen on separation with Tom Brady 

The 43-year-old runway rockstar was married to NFL’s biggest legend Tom Brady for thirteen years. And they share three children together, 13-year-old son Benjamin, 10-year-old daughter Vivian, and Jack, Brady’s 16-year-old son with ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan. When they met they were both young and “wanted a family” and “wanted things together,” but later they grew apart and “wanted different things.” On 28 October 2022, the couple officially announced their separation, which attracted speculation in abundance.

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The seasoned fashion model had remained away from her modeling career in order to cater to her family’s needs, and many accused her of holding Brad’s decision to un-retire and rejoin the NFL against the gaping differences between them. Which she discarded as absolutely redundant in her interview, saying that was “very hurtful” and “the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.” Bündchen said that she has always supported Brady, stating, “always cheered for him, and I would continue forever…I want him to achieve and to conquer. I want all his dreams to come true.” 

Football might have been a contributing factor but it was only “one piece of a much bigger puzzle,” that ultimately culminated to the end of their marriage. Bündchen called the end of her marriage to seven-time Super Bowl winner, “…the death of my dream. It’s tough because you imagine your life was going to be a certain way, and you did everything you could, you know?” 

As a child, she had always believed in fairytales.“You give everything you got to achieve your dream.” It can be heartbreaking “when it doesn’t end up the way you hoped for,” and there is not much one can do about it. However, not ending up having a fairy tale ending does not necessarily mean that she should give up on her dreams. 

A new beginning for Bündchen

Every end marks an entirely new beginning. Their “epic fight,” which resulted in the supermodel and mother of two leaving their family compound in Tampa, Florida, for Costa Rica, marked the end of an era. 

The new era marked by healing and indulging in things that she loves has helped Bündchen move forward with life. “I am loving Miami. I love the sunshine and people are very warm and welcoming. It feels like home,” she told PEOPLE. 

Her split from ex-husband Tom Brady might have been heartbreaking, but the two have managed to maintain a good relationship after their divorce. “We’re not playing against each other,” Bündchen said while discussing the couple’s decision to co-parent their children. 

Even though her dream did not have the ending she had hoped for, both individuals continued to work together towards a united goal- the betterment of their children. Like football, they “are a team, and that’s beautiful.” The runway legend has absolutely no regrets and, “I loved every bit of it.” 

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