NEWSTom Brady Gave Ex Gisele Bündchen the 'Middle Finger' Through Instagram After She Started New Family With Joaqium Valente, Book Claims
Tom Brady's social media post a month after the birth of Gisele Bündchen's son appeared to target her.
Sept. 30 2026, Published 11:22 a.m. ET
Tom Brady appeared to send a pointed message to ex-wife Gisele Bündchen through an Instagram post after she started a new family, a new biography claimed.
The post in question showed Brady throwing a football with the caption "True Love." Author Lars Anderson said the post and its timing carried a meaning that was not lost on people close to the legendary passer.
The Caption Was Not 'Ambiguous'
Tom Brady's photo showed him throwing a football with the sunset on the horizon.
Anderson detailed the post in Brady: An American Story and the Price of Greatness, which was released Tuesday, September 29.
The author described Instagram as Brady's "preferred form of mass (and often cryptic) communication" before detailing the image the NFL legend shared.
"In the color photograph, Brady's right arm is extended and a ball has spiraled out of his hand, silhouetted by the sunset's golden glow," outlined the author.
"To those who knew Brady well, there was nothing ambiguous about the post," Anderson continued. "One friend described it as 'the softest middle finger' ever given to an ex-wife."
The Timing Was Hard to Miss
The fact that Tom Brady shared the post just a month after the birth of the child made people conclude he was sending a message to his ex-wife.
The photograph appeared roughly one month after Bündchen gave birth to her son with now-husband Joaquim Valente in February 2025.
A friend of Brady's claimed he was "stung" by the timing of the pregnancy, which came roughly two years after Brady and the model finalized their divorce.
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Tom Brady posted a quote on Instagram within a day of the birth of Bündchen's son.
The football photograph wasn't Brady's only social media activity around the birth.
Less than 24 hours after news broke of Bündchen's son's arrival, the seven-time Super Bowl champion shared a quote.
The post read, "I really think the secret to being loved is to love. And the secret to being interesting is to be interested. And the secret to have others find beauty in you is to find beauty in others. And the secret to having a friend is being a friend."
Anderson said that more than one person close to Brady believed the message was "a coded commentary" on how the five-time Super Bowl MVP felt about the end of his marriage.
Brady Tried to Salvage the Marriage
Tom Brady unsuccessfully tried to mend things with Gisele Bündchen before their divorce.
Anderson also examined the athlete's efforts to save the relationship before the couple ultimately separated.
During the 2022 NFL season, the then-Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback took an extended leave from training camp and traveled to the Bahamas to spend time with Bündchen. He used that time to try to repair their marriage, according to the biography.
The attempt did not prevent the couple from their split in October 2022 after 13 years together.
The 49-year-old sports icon and Bündchen share son Benjamin, 16, and daughter Vivian, 13. Brady also has son Jack, 19, with former girlfriend Bridget Moynahan.
