Former New England Patriots star Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bündchen said Friday they had finalized a divorce, ending a 13-year marriage that achieved peak celebrity with its global backdrop of high fashion and professional sports.
“We arrived at this decision amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together,” Brady wrote on Instagram. “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.”
The announcement, while not unexpected, brought an unhappy end to a relationship that had captivated the public for years, a union of a famous athlete and an even more famous supermodel, both fabulously attractive and wealthy, who seemed genuinely happy.
Court records in Glades County, Fla., show Bündchen filed for divorce on Friday and the dissolution of marriage was granted the same day by Judge Jack E. Lundy. The divorce was not contested.
Rumors of a rift had swirled around the couple since Brady announced he was returning to football after retiring in February. In August, the 45-year-old Brady stepped away from training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team he joined in 2020 after 20 seasons in New England, for a rare 11-day planned absence.
Read the full story at BostonGlobe.com.