Gisele Bundchen celebrated her husband Joaquim Valente’s 39th birthday with a heartfelt tribute on Friday, as her former husband Tom Brady’s romance with fellow supermodel Candice Swanepoel continues to attract attention.
The 46-year-old Brazilian model posted an intimate photo of herself and the Jiu-Jitsu instructor posing cheek-to-cheek.
“Today, a great man was born, @joaquimvalente,” Bundchen wrote over the image in Portuguese, her native language. “How lucky I am. I love you so much!”
Bundchen recently appeared unfazed by Brady’s relationship with her Victoria’s Secret rival, attending a charity event alongside Valente. In the birthday image, she wore a fitted gold mesh top that highlighted her sculpted abs, while Valente chose a green button-up shirt.
The couple married in a small, private ceremony last December, eight months after welcoming a son whose name they have not publicly revealed.
Jewelry bearing his initials has suggested that his first name could begin with A, while his middle name has reportedly been identified as River, according to JustJared.
Gisele Bundchen shared a loving birthday message for her husband Joaquim Valente on Friday, writing in Portuguese that she felt lucky and loved him dearly (Source: @gisele/Instagram)
The Brazilian model, 46, expressed her love and gratitude for Valente in her native Portuguese. Above, Bundchen in 2025
Bundchen also shares two children with Brady, a 16-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter. The former couple divorced in 2022 after 13 years of marriage. Their children are named Benjamin Rein and Vivian Lake, both names reflecting water-related themes.
The mother of three is reportedly entirely unbothered by Brady’s relationship with Swanepoel.
Brady, 49, and the 38-year-old Victoria’s Secret Angel began dating in June after being introduced through mutual friends.
The pair have reportedly connected over raising their children. Swanepoel has two sons, Anacan, 10, and Ariel, eight, with her former fiancé, Brazilian model Hermann Nicoli.
Bundchen’s birthday message came after she discussed how fortunate she feels to have the freedom to “pick and choose” her professional projects.
“I feel lucky because I can pick and choose what I do, and I work only with people I genuinely enjoy being around,” she told W Magazine for its Summer Issue, published in June.
“When I was younger, I was often asking myself, Am I doing enough? Am I getting it right? After more than 30 years in front of the camera, I’ve come to really understand everything that goes into creating an image.
“I also understand that every image creates a feeling, and when you are confident and accepting of yourself, everything flows naturally.”
Bundchen and Valente married privately last December, eight months after welcoming their son, whose name remains undisclosed (Source: @gisele/Instagram)
Jewelry initials have fueled speculation that the couple’s son’s first name begins with A, while his reported middle name is River (Source: @gisele/Instagram)
The family spent time on the water in Miami on Saturday, with Valente steering the boat as Bundchen held their son on her lap
Bundchen is reportedly unfazed by her former husband Tom Brady’s relationship with Candice Swanepoel
The former NFL quarterback and Fox Sports analyst began dating the 38-year-old Victoria’s Secret Angel in June after meeting through mutual friends. Above, Swanepoel on October 18
During the interview, Bundchen also said she believes her personality was a major factor in her success.
She remains one of the industry’s highest-paid models.
“Confidence and health can naturally come across as sensuality, but for me it was never about trying to project an image – I was just being myself,” she told the publication.
“Once people started associating me with ‘the return of the sexy model,’ things happened fast.
“Rejection had taught me resilience and not to base my self-worth on other people’s opinions.”
Bundchen continued: “One day I was doing constant castings and hearing ‘no’ over and over, and then suddenly I was working nonstop.
“But now I realize that what people responded to wasn’t only my look, but also my personality.
“I was very alive and happy to be there.”
