Tom Brady's Post-Gisele Love Life Is Reportedly Ripping Friendships Apart

Gisele Bündchen settled down again pretty quickly post-divorce, but the same can't quite be said for Tom Brady. The NFL legend has been linked to not just one, but two Victoria's Secret Angels, and unfortunately, his messy relationships with both Joan Smalls and Candice Swanepoel may have seriously damaged their friendship. The two models have been best friends for years, so one of the first indications that there was drama between them was the fact that they stopped posting anything together online. Of course, one could argue that they've simply been busy (even though both of them were in the 2026 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show), but eagle-eyed fans noticed they weren't following each other on Instagram either. 

That led to more questions, so shout-out to the netizen who came right out and asked if they were still close, to which Smalls notably replied, "[I'm] not friends with backstabbers," (via Instagram). She later deleted the comment, but after Just Jared posted about the situation, Smalls replied, "Two words: SUMMER HOUSE ! That'll explain everything." Of course, "Summer House" fans will be well aware that Amanda Batula started dating her friend Ciara Miller's ex, West Wilson, destroying their friendship (this is where Bethenny Frankel would say, "It's about Tom"). 

A day after Smalls' "Summer House" comment, Us Weekly reported that Swanepoel was dating Brady. A few days after that, an insider dished that Smalls had also dated Brady for a while a few years back, and the blossoming relationship between her ex and BFF had completely broken her heart. Swanepoel, they said, knew about the relationship, and once Smalls learned that they were dating she was, "Completely blindsided by the whole thing and felt really betrayed."

FWIW, Joan Smalls didn't just allude to the situation with her "backstabbers" comment; she also spelled it out more clearly in another since-deleted barb, writing in part, "There is no girl code with some people [...] The way they gaslight, lie and minimize your feelings is the worst slap in the face after 15 yrs [of] friendship. Not a sorry said or written," (via Instagram). Perhaps that was a sore point for Candice Swanepoel, because she eventually released a statement of her own, specifically mentioning how long they'd been friends. Speaking to E! News, the model's rep shared, "She and Joan share a longstanding history and a friendship that Candice will always respect." However, they also hinted at that being the last time she'd address the situation, noting, "Candice has always been exceptionally private about her personal life." 

As for Tom Brady, this wouldn't be the first time he's been accused of shadiness. He famously started dating Gisele Bündchen when his ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan was pregnant with their child. Brady also dated supermodel Irina Shayk after his divorce from Bündchen, and she and Smalls are pretty close too. In fact, the two Victoria's Secret Angels even made a backstage video together at the 2026 fashion show, though maybe they bonded because they were both over him. 

It's worth noting that the insider who spoke to Us Weekly about Smalls' response to Swanepoel and Brady dating also pointed out, "It wasn't even necessarily about Tom, but more about the fact that Candice was someone she considered such a close friend. Joan had openly talked to Candice about Tom and had confided in Candice about the relationship." It's a sad situation all 'round.