Gisele Bündchen: from supermodel to private life and a new chapter

Gisele Bündchen quietly entered a new chapter in December 2025, marrying Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente in a small ceremony held at the couple’s home in Surfside, Florida, the event coming after the couple welcomed a baby boy earlier in February 2025. The wedding, which followed a formal divorce from Tom Brady in October 2022, was intentionally private, and it capped a year that has seen Bündchen balance motherhood, selective public work, and a consistent commitment to wellness and environmental causes.

Early life and rise to global stardom

Born on July 20, 1980, in Horizontina, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Gisele Bündchen was discovered as a teenager and rose rapidly through fashion’s ranks. Her look, timing, and work ethic turned her into a defining face of the late 1990s and early 2000s fashion era, and she became a household name as a Victoria’s Secret Angel and the face of major luxury and mass-market campaigns.

Key career moments

By the mid 2010s Bündchen had set records in earnings and visibility, with Forbes reporting multi-million dollar annual earnings in peak years. Since stepping back from nonstop runway work, she has kept a selective public profile, choosing projects that align with her wellness image and commercial appeal.

Business, branding and earnings

Bündchen turned modeling success into business opportunities, licensing products, starting footwear and intimates lines, and partnering with global beauty and fashion brands. Estimates of her career earnings and net worth vary by source, but her longevity in top-tier campaigns and long-term endorsement deals have made her one of the most commercially successful models ever.

Notable facts:

• Multiple ads and covers: Hundreds of campaigns and covers across a career that spans decades.
• Selective work schedule: Since 2015 she has favored high-impact, low-frequency projects.

Personal life and the public eye

Gisele’s personal life has been closely followed for years, especially during and after her marriage to NFL quarterback Tom Brady, which lasted from 2009 until their divorce in October 2022. The two share two children, Benjamin and Vivian. In early 2025 Bündchen and Joaquim Valente welcomed a son, whose middle name has been reported as River, while the couple has kept his full name private.

The recent marriage and reactions

The December 3, 2025 ceremony was intentionally small, attended by family and close friends, and handled privately by the couple. Reactions in public discourse split along predictable lines: many fans and friends praised the decision to keep the moment intimate, while a portion of the press treated the news as another high-profile personal milestone to be parsed. Tom Brady’s social posts around the same time drew attention from commentators and fans, illustrating how the private lives of former high-profile couples continue to intersect with public interest.

"Sometimes, the most beautiful moments aren’t shared — they’re simply lived," is the tone Bündchen has struck in recent interviews, emphasizing family and presence over spectacle.

Public image, privacy and media scrutiny

Bündchen has always managed a careful balance with media, at times cultivating a public persona, and later deliberately narrowing the circle of what she shares. After her divorce, she explicitly moved toward a quieter life focused on family, wellness, and selective creative work. That approach explains why the wedding and much of the couple’s family life have been kept out of the public eye.

Multiple viewpoints

• Supporters say: Privacy allows her to protect her children, and to parent away from constant media pressure.
• Critics say: As a public figure with major commercial partnerships, large moments will inevitably attract coverage, and full secrecy is difficult.
• Industry observers note: Her choices reflect a broader trend, where established stars trade constant visibility for curated appearances that preserve brand value and personal wellbeing.

Activism, wellness and personal projects

Beyond modeling, Bündchen is known for environmental advocacy, particularly around conservation in Brazil and reforestation projects, and for promoting wellness living. She has published material about healthy eating and lifestyle, and she continues to associate with wellness brands and philanthropic efforts tied to sustainability.

What this means for her career and legacy

Gisele Bündchen’s arc is familiar to anyone who has watched a global star age and evolve in public life: she built enormous commercial value through a singular combination of look, timing, and industry savvy, then converted that fame into business and philanthropic capital. In recent years she has reshaped her public presence around family and wellness, while still returning to high-profile shoots and campaigns when they fit her priorities.

Short-term outlook

• Continued selective modeling and magazine features, particularly around wellness and lifestyle.
• Private family life with periodic public appearances at cultural and philanthropic events.
• Ongoing environmental and wellness projects that align with her public image.

Quick facts (technical summary)

```json
{
"full_name": "Gisele Caroline Bündchen",
"born": "1980-07-20",
"children": 3,
"notable_partners": ["Tom Brady (m.2009–2022)", "Joaquim Valente (m.2025)"] ,
"career": "supermodel, brand partner, wellness advocate",
"current_focus": ["family", "wellness", "select creative projects", "philanthropy"]
}
```

Final perspective

Gisele Bündchen remains a rare example of a global fashion star who has managed to translate peak visibility into long term influence and business opportunities, while asserting greater control over what she shares with the public. Her recent marriage and the arrival of a new child underline a deliberate turn toward private life, and yet her magazine covers, campaigns, and advocacy work show she will continue to shape fashion and wellness conversations for years to come.