Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady announced Friday that he and wife Gisele Bundchen have finalized a divorce, ending 13 years of marriage and months of speculation about marital strife.
Brady posted on Instagram: “In recent days, my wife and I finalized our divorce from one another after 13 years of marriage. We arrived at this decision amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together. We are blessed with beautiful and wonderful children who will continue to be the center of our world in every way. We will continue to work together as parents to always ensure they receive the love and attention they deserve.
“We arrived at this decision to end our marriage after much consideration.
“Doing so is, of course, painful and difficult, like it is for many people who go through the same thing every day around the world. However we wish only the best for each other as we pursue whatever new chapters in our lives that are yet to be written.
“And we kindly ask for privacy and respect as we navigate what is to come in the days and weeks ahead. Thank you.”
According to documents filed in Glades County, Florida, the marriage was deemed “irretrievably broken.” Other details of the divorce are sealed.
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The couple share two children, Benjamin, 12, and Vivian, 9. Brady also has a 15-year-old son, Jack, with actor Bridget Moynahan.
Bundchen struck a similar tone in her Instagram post announcing the couple’s divorce.
“The decision to end a marriage is never easy but we have grown apart and while it is, of course, difficult to go through something like this, I feel blessed for the time we spent together and only wish the best for Tom always,” Bundchen’s read in part.
The Bucs lost to the Baltimore Ravens 27-22 Thursday night — their fifth loss in the past six games — and Brady sat at his locker looking despondent afterward as teammates Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin and quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen tried to comfort him.
Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles was asked Friday how much of a toll Brady’s life away from the field has taken on the quarterback.
“I can’t say for sure. Tom’s a very private person. He does his job when he’s out here. And he smiles a lot,” Bowles said. “That’s really all you can go by. I think everybody — no matter what profession — you go through some things. It’s how you handle it and come out of it. I’m sure he has something weighing on him when he leaves work and everything. I don’t know how much. I guess that’s a question for him.”
It has been an unusual season for Brady, one that saw him return after a 40-day retirement.
In announcing his comeback, Brady posted two photos — one with his offensive line getting ready to snap the ball, and one with Bundchen walking with his three children, all wearing Bucs gear. He wrote, “I love my teammates and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible.”
Bundchen had expressed public support for Brady’s return to football, tweeting on Sept. 11, the day of Tampa Bay’s season opener. It was the last time she posted about Brady on social media.
Brady was granted an 11-day break during training camp so he could tend to “personal things,” as Bowles put it, for which he spent time with his family.
When asked about his absence upon his return, Brady said, “It’s all personal. Everyone’s got different situations they’re dealing with. I’m 45 years old, man. There’s a lot of s— going on. You’ve just got to try to figure out life the best you can.”
The couple reportedly have been living separately, with Bundchen photographed multiple times in Miami and New York City in recent weeks without her wedding band. She had also been noticeably absent from all Bucs home games this season.
In an interview with Elle magazine in September, Bundchen expressed her concerns about Brady continuing to play because of the violent nature of the game but said, “Ultimately, I feel that everybody has to make a decision that works for [them]. He needs to follow his joy too.”
She also said that after years of supporting Brady and tending to their family, “Now it’s going to be my turn.”
“I’ve done my part, which is to be there for him,” Bundchen said. “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.”
In his 23rd season, Brady is chasing his eighth Super Bowl title and his second in Tampa Bay. However, the Bucs are second in the NFC South at 3-5 and have lost three straight games.
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