Gisele Bündchen has spoken candidly about her plans for the future, with the former supermodel revealing that she feels it is “[her] turn” as she gears up to return to work and her passions.
Bündchen, 42, discussed her next moves during an interview with Elle and acknowledged that she’d retired from her own career to support her husband Tom Brady and their family, but feels like she’s “done [her] part,” and that her focus should now be on herself and her aspirations.
“I’ve done my part, which is [to] be there for [Tom]. 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. Seeing my children succeed and become the beautiful little humans that they are, seeing him succeed, and being fulfilled in his career - it makes me happy,” she said. “At this point in my life, I feel like I’ve done a good job on that.”
Bündchen says it’s now time for her to priortise the “huge list of things” she has to do and wants to do, with the mother of three revealing that, “at 42, I feel more connected with my purpose”.
As for what her future holds, the former highest-paid supermodel in the world, who retired from the runway in 2015, said she has no plans to return to the catwalk. However, she does plan to continue working with the photographers and stylists she’s built friendships with over her lengthy career. “It’s very easy for me to go there and create a character and play that role for the day,” Bündchen said. “It fuels me.… I feel inspired to go and create more beautiful things in the world in different ways, too.”
Most importantly, the 42 year old said she plans to prioritise her dedication to the environment and focus on the regeneration of the planet’s natural resources, especially in her home country Brazil.
“I feel very fulfilled in that way, as a mother and as a wife,” she said. “And now it’s going to be my turn. It’s not like I’m going to be in the valley forever.”
Looking to the future, Bündchen said she hopes that she can serve as a reminder to other women that they can be mothers and still follow their passions.
“I never enjoy being put in a box because I think we can be anything we want to be. We have so many different sides to us,” she said. “I feel very lucky I get to do that in my job, and I get to wear all these different hats and experience all these different aspects of myself.”
During the interview, Bündchen, who recently faced rumours that her marriage to the NFL star was rocky after Brady announced his retirement only to recommit to another season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers six weeks later, also acknowledged the oftentimes “sexist” way she is portrayed by the media.
Bündchen says the portrayal of her as desperate for her husband to retire is evidence of “the system we’ve been living in”.
“That’s what society has accepted and what society hasn’t accepted,” she said.
As for how she really feels about Brady’s imminent retirement, Bündchen, who shares daughter Vivian, nine, son Benjamin, 12, and stepson Jack, 15, with the quarterback, acknowledged that she does have her concerns, including about her husband’s safety and the time he gets to spend with his family. However, she said she also wants her husband to be happy.
“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.”
Bündchen declined to comment to Elle about speculation that she and Brady are taking time apart.
This is not the first time the celebrity couple has opened up about their struggles to priortise one another’s passions and careers, as Brady previously revealed in October 2021 that he and his wife were facing a “very difficult issue” because there were still “things that she wants to accomplish”.
“I think my wife has, you know, held down the house for a long time now,” the seven-time Super Bowl winner explained. “And I think there’s things that she wants to accomplish. You know, she hasn’t worked as much in the last 10, 12 years just raising our family and kind of committing to being in a life in Boston and then moving to Florida.
“But that’s an issue, and it’s a very difficult issue to reconcile without just saying: ‘Hey, it’s time to retire.’”
