NFL quarterback Tom Brady’s wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, has reportedly threatened divorce for years over Brady’s NFL career and now says that there is no turning back and that her decision to leave is final.
Page Six reported that Bündchen consulted a divorce attorney in 2015 after the couple allegedly secretly split up for a short time. The report said that there have been other instances where the couple has split up over the years before this most recent spat, which has been described as an “epic fight.”
“Tom and Gisele have separated before. Every couple of years they have a big fight and she has left Tom before, but she always came back,” a source close to the matter told the publication. “They always worked through things, and Tom was hopeful they would do it again this time.”
News broke Tuesday that the power couple appeared to be heading toward divorce as Bündchen had hired a divorce lawyer amid weeks of speculation of marital problems centered around Brady’s decision to return to playing professional football after being retired for only several weeks.
A person close to the couple weighed in on why they have not yet confirmed their separation, despite each sending subtle signals that they were no longer together.
“The timing is interesting. It’s football season, and Gisele is leading the charge,” the person said. “So is she trying to F with Tom?”
PEOPLE reported Friday that Bündchen was “done” with her relationship with Brady because she does not believe it can be repaired after their last fight.
“She is done with their marriage,” a source told the magazine. “She was upset about it for a long time and it’s still difficult, but she feels like she needs to move on. She doesn’t believe that her marriage can be repaired.”
“She is just trying to figure out her life,” the source continued. “She doesn’t have much contact with Tom.”
“She is doing yoga, meditating and taking care of herself,” the source added. “She doesn’t put any pressure on herself to make drastic decisions.”
In an interview with Elle, Bündchen said the characterization that she was desperate for Brady to quit playing football was sexist.
“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 said. “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.”
For his part, Brady, who vanished from training camp for 11 days in August, said last month on his “Let’s Go” podcast that he was starting to get nostalgic as his 23-year career winds down.
“As you get older, life changes quite a bit,” he told sportscaster Jim Gray. “There’s different responsibilities that take form in your life. There’s different perspectives you gain.”
“I’m just really feeling intensely my emotions,” he continued. “And I feel like I always have that, but I think when you get close to the end – and I don’t know exactly where I’m at with that, but there’s no decision to be made, it’s not like I have 10 years left, I definitely don’t have that.”
