A timeline of Gisele Bündchen’s romance with Joaquim Valente

Gisele Bündchen has been keeping her relationship with Joaquim Valente largely out of the public eye, but despite her efforts to keep it private, the public’s curiosity has only grown. Rumors about their relationship began swirling after the two were spotted together in Costa Rica in late 2022, just weeks after Bündchen’s divorce from Tom Brady. However, it turns out that they already knew each other long before that moment.

For over a year, Bündchen, along with her children Benjamin and Vivian, had been practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu with Valente and his two brothers at their school in Miami. Initially, their connection was strictly professional, with Bündchen developing a friendship with Valente as she became more involved in the sport. But by the summer of 2023, their friendship blossomed into a romantic relationship, and things moved quickly from there, with Bündchen becoming pregnant in 2024.

Despite growing speculation, Bündchen has been cautious about revealing too much about their relationship. While she has posted a few times on social media, it has mostly been in the context of her jiu-jitsu practice, which was before they became a couple. Valente, on his end, keeps his social media private, showing he shares her desire for privacy. Still, enough details have emerged to give a clearer picture of how their relationship evolved.

Bündchen and Valente first crossed paths in late 2021 when Bündchen was still married to Tom Brady. At that time, she was simply looking for a jiu-jitsu instructor for her son, Benjamin. She found Valente through a recommendation and soon became interested in learning the martial art herself. She found the sport’s philosophy resonated with her own views on life, and before long, she was hooked. By early 2022, she was training regularly under Valente’s guidance, and their friendship began to deepen.

As her marriage to Brady fell apart, Bündchen turned to Valente for support. Sources later confirmed that he was there for her as a friend during the difficult time of her divorce. In fact, just two weeks after filing for divorce in October 2022, Bündchen was seen in Costa Rica with Valente, her kids, and Valente’s jiu-jitsu colleague. Some people thought it was just a sign of their close friendship, but others began to speculate there was something more.

For months after the divorce, Bündchen and Valente were seen spending time together—running, dining with her children, and even sharing AirPods—but Bündchen denied there was any romantic involvement. In a March 2023 interview, she explained that the rumors were simply a result of her being newly divorced, and while she spoke warmly about Valente, she insisted they were just friends. However, by the summer of 2023, their relationship took a romantic turn.

Bündchen has continued to be protective of her private life, but in 2024, she began to open up more. In February of that year, she and Valente were photographed sharing a kiss in public for the first time, signaling that their relationship had become more serious. As the year progressed, they were seen together more often, walking their dogs and attending Pilates classes. In an interview with *The New York Times*, Bündchen admitted that this relationship was different from any of her past ones—more honest, transparent, and rooted in a shared cultural background with Valente, who is also Brazilian.

By October 2024, news broke that Bündchen and Valente were expecting a baby together, marking a significant milestone in their relationship. This would be Bündchen’s third child and Valente’s first. Though she hasn’t publicly commented on the pregnancy yet, sources shared that she was already a few months along when the news emerged. While it was difficult for her to keep the pregnancy private, she has managed to keep the baby’s sex a secret, opting to wait until birth to find out. Even though pregnancies after 40 carry some risks, sources reported that Bündchen was in good health, continuing her regular exercise routine and healthy diet throughout her pregnancy.

Despite the media frenzy surrounding their relationship, Bündchen and Valente have remained relatively private, and it seems they are both focused on their growing family and the future.