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KEY POINTS
- Divorce attorney Jacqueline Newman weighed in on Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady’s approach to their divorce
- The lawyer noted that their approach was very common and the “smarter” way to do things
- Newman, who did not work with either star, said a public divorce could affect a celebrity’s image
Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady used the “smarter way” when it comes to how they handled their divorce, according to an expert.
The NFL superstar, 45, and the Brazilian supermodel, 42, filed for divorce in a Florida court earlier this week and confirmed in separate statements Friday that they have ended their 13-year marriage.
Divorce attorney Jacqueline Newman expressed approval for Bundchen and Brady’s decision to delay the filing of their divorce paperwork until they’ve settled all matters involved, noting that it allowed them to maintain privacy.
“They very often will settle behind closed doors before they let anyone in,” Newman, who did not work with either Brady or Bundchen, told Page Six. “I think it’s very common. It’s the smarter way to do things.”
The former Victoria’s Secret Angel and the quarterback filed the divorce documents in Florida, which means the paperwork would have been accessible to the public, the lawyer noted.
Newman, who practices in New York where filings remain private, pointed out that a public divorce could affect a celebrity’s image.
“You’re not only negotiating issues of custody and issues of finances, but you also have to be very careful if your public image is very valuable,” she added. “It’s just smarter not to put anything out there until you’re done and the ink is dried.”
Bundchen and Brady tied the knot in 2009 after three years of dating. They share two children, son Benjamin, 12, and daughter Vivian, 9. The athlete is also a dad to 15-year-old Jack, whom he shares with ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan.
Rumors that the two were headed for divorce started swirling late last month after Page Six reported that Bundchen fled their Florida home following an “epic” fight over Brady’s decision to un-retire from football.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion announced his retirement from the NFL on Feb. 1. However, he walked back his decision six weeks later.
Bundchen and Brady reportedly had been living separately since the alleged fight and later hired divorce attorneys.
On Friday, Bundchen and Brady announced their divorce via their respective Instagram Stories.
“My priority has always been and will continue to be our children whom I love with all my heart. We will continue co-parenting to give them the love, care and attention they greatly deserve,” she wrote, adding, “The decision to end a marriage is never easy, but we have grown apart.”
The NFL star, for his part, said in a statement: “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.”
Despite their claims that the divorce was amicable, some social media users were not convinced that this was really the case because of the difference in the tone of the two stars’ statements.
Some pointed out that Bundchen emphasized that her priority has always been their children and referred to her now ex-husband as “Tom,” while Brady referred to her as “my wife.”
“I feel like with Gisele saying, ‘we grew apart,’ and Tom Brady just being like, ‘this is amicable,’ sounds a little different,” one person commented.
“But the nuance of Gisele and her ex-husband’s divorce announcement… Like him saying, ‘my wife and I,’ [and] Gisele only calling him by his name. Him putting all in ‘we,’ [and] Gisele saying ‘my priority is always my kids.’ I don’t think this was that amicable,” another wrote echoing the other user’s sentiment.
