The not-so-subtle tension between Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen seemingly reached new heights when the exes posted birthday tributes for their daughter Vivian, who turned 12 on Dec. 5. On the surface, the former couple’s posts may seem harmless. However, a closer look reveals hints of a power struggle over who holds the upper hand in their co-parenting setup.
To celebrate his daughter’s special day, the seven-time Super Bowl champ, 47, penned a heartfelt message and shared five photos of Vivian taken through the years on Instagram. One featured the pre-teen and her dad posing in front of the Eiffel Tower, while another showed Vivian as a baby.
“Happy 12th birthday to my forever baby girl. Watching you grow and chase after your dreams are the proudest moments of my life. Your love, compassion, and joy fill up every room that you’re in, and will always make your daddy smile. You light up my life,” Brady wrote in the caption.
He closed his message by hoping for Vivian to have “a great day filled with all the laughter and love that” she deserves. Unfortunately, this was his quiet acknowledgment that he couldn’t celebrate his daughter’s birthday with her since she has yet to return from the tropical vacation Bündchen, 44, booked for herself and her kids.
Since late November, the supermodel and her children have been enjoying the sandy beaches of Santa Teresa, Costa Rica. They even spent Thanksgiving there, leaving Brady with no one else to celebrate the holiday with. Aside from Vivian, Brady and Bündchen share a son, Benjamin, 14. The Brazilian beauty also acts as a stepmom to Brady’s 17-year-old son, Jack, whom he shares with his ex, Bridget Moynahan.
Bündchen also brought along her boyfriend, Joaquim Valente, 37, who is the soon-to-be dad of the baby she’s carrying. The couple was recently photographed enjoying a holiday smoochfest while walking the sun-drenched shore. The couple’s PDA-filled strolls have drawn attention for their uncanny resemblance to scenes from her past vacations with Brady in the same destination. Fans online wondered if these moments were intentional nods to her former life or simply coincidental.
Regardless if she’s showing off her new romance deliberately or not, Bündchen is doing a great job proving to her ex-husband and the world that she’s got the upper hand post-split. Aside from quickly moving on with another man, she has more control and more time to spend with their children.
On Vivian’s birthday, Bündchen doubled down on her role as the ever-present parent by uploading a series of photos to her Instagram Story showing their bonding moments from their ongoing vacation. One snap showed them sitting back-to-back on the beach with their hands interlocking. Another picture was of the pair holding hands while riding horses at sunset.
“Happy Birthday to my ray of sunshine. You are the best daughter a mom could ever ask for and I’m blessed to be your mama,” she captioned the photos and added “te amo muito,” which means, “I love you lots.”
Amid all the indirect back-and-forth between the exes, Brady — who despite retiring from playing football in February 2023 is now back in the NFL as a game analyst — has been taking the high road and not caving into Bündchen’s alleged taunting. For instance, instead of being mad about spending Thanksgiving solo, he opted to give a shout-out to his three kids by sharing a photo of them, purportedly taken from their getaway with the model.
The exes’ birthday tributes for their daughter reveal a bittersweet reality about their situation. Brady is still navigating life without the central role he once played both on the field and at home. On the contrary, Bündchen has broken free from her role as the passive wife and is now steering the family dynamic with confidence and ease. So for now, she’s the one calling the shots.
Published: Dec 6, 2024 05:26 am