Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen have weathered many ups and downs over the course of their 15-year relationship.
However, the union between the 45-year-old NFL star and the 42-year-old appears to have hit its rockiest patch yet, as reports emerged on Tuesday that the two have hired divorce lawyers amid their recent marital woes.
Though the couple have persevered through difficult times before, even the beginning of their love story was not without its challenges.
Brady and Bündchen first met on a blind date at New York City's Turks & Frogs restaurant in December 2006.
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In 2009, the Vogue cover star told Vanity Fair that she instantly felt a connection.
"I knew right way—the first time I saw him," Bündchen told the outlet. "We met through a friend. The moment I saw him, he smiled and I was like, That is the most beautiful, charismatic smile I’ve ever seen! We sat and talked for three hours."
She continued, "I had to go home for Christmas, but I didn’t want to leave. You know that feeling of, like, you can’t get enough? From the first day we met, we’ve never spent one day without speaking to each other."
In mid-December 2006, Brady and his girlfriend Bridget Moynahan announced that they had ended their three-year relationship.
TOM BRADY AND GISELE BÜNDCHEN'S RELATIONSHIP THROUGH THE YEARS
"(They) amicably ended their three-year relationship several weeks ago. We ask for your respect and consideration of their privacy. No further comments will be made," a representative for the actress said in a statement.
Brady and Bündchen went public with their relationship in January 2007. However, their burgeoning romance hit a major stumbling block in February of that year when Moynahan revealed that she was pregnant with Brady's child.
Bündchen recalled learning of Moynahan's pregnancy and the challenging time that followed in her 2018 memoir "Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life."
"Two months into our relationship, Tom told me that his ex-girlfriend was pregnant," she wrote.
"The very next day, the news was everywhere and I felt my world had been turned upside down. Needless to say, that wasn’t an easy time."
However, Bündchen and Brady stayed together and the Brazilian model later told Vogue that their relationship had been strengthened by the experience.
"I think it was a blessing, because otherwise I don’t think I would have known what he was made of, and he wouldn’t have known what I was made of," she told the outlet in 2009.
"I wouldn’t have seen the integrity in him—the way he was a good person through all the times. I was like, You have the heart in a good place! It made me feel more in love with him; it made me realize who he was. Our relationship has become so much stronger, and I think I wouldn’t be as certain as I am today if it weren’t for that."
Moynahan gave birth to Brady's first child, son John "Jack" Edward Thomas Moynahan, in August 2007. The former couple would go on to amicably co-parent Jack, who Bündchen described in her memoir as "making my heart expand in ways I didn't know were possible."
"Jack, my bonus child, has been a huge gift and blessing in my life," she added.
The professional football player and the model married in a private ceremony in Santa Monica in February 2009, a month after secretly getting engaged.
The couple later tied the knot again in April of that year during a lavish three-day celebration in Costa Rica. They welcomed son Benjamin Rein in December 2009 and daughter Vivian Lake in December 2012.
In her memoir, Bunchen revealed that she and Brady decided to start their family earlier than planned as they wanted Jack to have siblings that were close to his age.
The pair appeared to enjoy an idyllic family life and frequently spoke of each other in glowing terms, though their relationship would reportedly be tested again in 2015 during Brady's Deflategate scandal.
After Brady and his team the New England Patriots were accused of intentionally deflating footballs during the playoffs, the NFL suspended the quarterback for four games.
At the time, rumors began to swirl that Brady and Bündchen's marriage was also on the rocks due to the scandal.
However, Brady brushed off the divorce speculation during a radio interview with Boston’s WEEI 93.7 FM.
"We're in a great place, I'll just say that. I'm a lucky man. I've been very blessed with support from my family and certainly her, and there's no bigger supporter that I have than her and vice versa," he said.
"I've been very blessed to have an incredible relationship with my life partner, and I don't think anything will ever get in the way of that."
In February 2019, the two celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary with romantic posts dedicated to each other on Instagram.
In his post, Brady described Bündchen as "my rock, my love and my light." He wrote, "I know our journey has not been easy, but the challenges we have overcome have made our bond stronger and our love grow deeper."
For her part, Bündchen wrote that there was "nothing that I love more in this world than you and our family."
She added, "Thank you for being on this journey with me and for doing the work that it takes to make it so special."
In March 2020, the family moved to Florida after Brady announced that he had signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Bündchen and the couple's children cheered Brady on from the stands and joined him on the field to celebrate after he won his 7th Super Bowl in February 2021.
However, rumors of marital strife between the two began to emerge again when Brady revealed that he had decided to un-retire from the NFL last March, 40 days after announcing his retirement.
Bündchen was said to be disappointed over his decision as she had hope that he would be able to spend more time with his family.
The couple reportedly spent most of the past summer apart.
During an unexpected 11-day break from training with the Buccaneers, Brady visited Jack in the Hamptons to celebrate his son's 15th birthday.
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He was joined by Benjamin and Vivian on the trip and though Bündchen wasn't photographed, she was reportedly there too, per Page Six.
"Reports that Tom then left Gisele to go to the Hamptons to be with Jack and Bridget are untrue. Gisele was there too," a source told the outlet.
According to the Daily Mail, Moynahan was in the Hamptons at the time. Brady was also spotted on Shelter Island, where Moynahan and her husband Andrew Frankel spend their time when not at their home in the Manhattan neighborhood of Tribeca.
Following the Hamptons trip, Page Six reported that Brady and Bündchen had an "epic spat" after which they reportedly have been living apart.
"I never actually thought this argument would be the end of them, but it looks like it is," a source told Page Six.
"I don’t think there will be any coming back now. They both have lawyers and are looking at what a split will entail, who gets what and what the finances will be."
