Gisele Bündchen is a Brazilian supermodel, author, philanthropist, and environmental advocate who became one of fashion’s most recognizable figures after rising to international fame in the late 1990s. As of September 2026, she is 46 years old.
Her career has included major fashion campaigns, years with Victoria’s Secret, record-setting modeling earnings, books, business projects, and long-running environmental work. Her personal life has also drawn major attention, particularly her former marriage to NFL star Tom Brady and her relationship with Joaquim Valente.
Quick Facts About Gisele Bündchen
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Gisele Caroline Bündchen |
| Born | July 20, 1980 |
| Birthplace | Horizontina, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil |
| Age | 46 as of September 2026 |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Profession | Model, author, philanthropist, environmental advocate |
| Former husband | Tom Brady |
| Current husband | Joaquim Valente |
| Children | Three |
| Runway career | 1990s–2015 |
| Major fashion association | Victoria’s Secret |
| Notable books | Lessons and Nourish |
Who Is Gisele Bündchen?
Gisele Bündchen grew up in the southern Brazilian town of Horizontina with five sisters, including her fraternal twin sister Patricia. Before modeling became her career, Bündchen has said that she was interested in volleyball and even considered becoming a veterinarian. Her path changed after a modeling scout spotted her in São Paulo when she was a teenager.
She entered the Elite Model Look competition and soon began building a professional career. Her early success was especially important because she arrived during a period when the fashion industry was heavily associated with the extremely thin “heroin chic” aesthetic. Bündchen’s healthier, athletic appearance helped establish a different look on major runways and magazine covers.
Her international breakthrough accelerated in the late 1990s. She appeared in major campaigns and walked for some of the biggest designers in fashion, helping turn her from a working model into a global celebrity.
Gisele Bündchen’s Modeling Career
Bündchen’s rise was unusually fast. British Vogue reports that she made her catwalk debut at New York Fashion Week in 1996 and soon attracted attention from leading fashion houses. Her work with Alexander McQueen, in particular, became one of the early defining moments of her career.
By 1998, she was appearing on major magazine covers and working with brands including Missoni, Chloé, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Ralph Lauren, and Versace.
Her association with Victoria’s Secret further expanded her profile. She worked with the brand from 1999 through 2006 and became one of its most recognizable models during that period. Vogue’s historical coverage also notes her appearances in the brand’s famous Fantasy Bra presentations.
In 2000, British Vogue reported that Bündchen signed a $25 million Victoria’s Secret contract, a figure that reflected just how valuable her image had become to the fashion business.
Her earning power extended well beyond runway work. Forbes estimated that Bündchen earned $45 million between May 2011 and May 2012, placing her at the top of its annual ranking of the world’s highest-paid models. The estimate included modeling, endorsements, licensing, and related business income.
Why Gisele Bündchen Became So Influential
Bündchen’s importance in fashion was not simply a matter of how many campaigns she booked. She became one of the models who helped redefine what mainstream beauty looked like at the turn of the century.
Her powerful runway walk, commercial appeal, and ability to move between high fashion and mass-market advertising made her unusually versatile. British Vogue described her as an influential supermodel whose career included major covers, campaigns, and some of the industry’s most memorable runway appearances.
That combination also gave her a longer career than many models who found success at a similar age. She increasingly built her public identity around wellness, family, business, and environmental causes rather than relying solely on runway visibility.
Did Gisele Bündchen Retire From Modeling?
Gisele Bündchen retired from professional runway work in 2015, but that did not mean she completely left fashion.
Her final runway appearance took place at São Paulo Fashion Week in April 2015, where she walked for Brazilian brand Colcci. At the time, she said she was grateful for the 20 years she had spent in the industry and planned to continue working in other areas of the business.
That distinction matters. Bündchen stepped away from regular catwalk appearances, but she continued to participate in advertising campaigns, magazine work, fashion projects, and public appearances. Vogue continued documenting her fashion activity in 2025, including coverage of her personal style and appearances after becoming a mother again.
So, describing her simply as a “retired model” misses an important part of her career. She retired from the runway, not from fashion itself.
Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady
Bündchen married former NFL quarterback Tom Brady in 2009. Their relationship became one of the most closely watched celebrity marriages in the United States, bringing together two highly successful figures from fashion and professional football.
They had two children together, Benjamin and Vivian. Brady also has an older son, Jack, from his previous relationship with actress Bridget Moynahan.
Bündchen and Brady finalized their divorce on October 28, 2022, ending a 13-year marriage. Both described the decision as amicable in statements announcing the split.
The divorce generated extensive speculation in the media, but the clearest documented fact is that the couple publicly confirmed the end of their marriage and moved forward separately.
Who Is Gisele Bündchen Married to Now?
As of September 2026, Gisele Bündchen is married to Joaquim Valente, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor.
The couple had been linked romantically since 2023, after Valente had previously been known as a jiu-jitsu teacher who worked with Bündchen and her family. They welcomed their first child together, a son, in February 2025. People reported that the baby’s middle name is River, although his first name has not been publicly disclosed.
Bündchen and Valente later married in an intimate ceremony on December 3, 2025, in Surfside, Florida, according to marriage records reported by People.
That makes Bündchen a mother of three: Benjamin and Vivian from her marriage to Brady, and her youngest son with Valente.
Gisele Bündchen’s Children and Family Life
Family has increasingly become a central part of Bündchen’s public life.
Her older children, Benjamin and Vivian, were born during her marriage to Brady. She has generally kept family matters more private than the highly visible early years of her modeling career.
After welcoming her youngest child in February 2025, fashion coverage showed Bündchen spending time with her family in Miami and returning gradually to familiar activities and professional appearances.
Her approach to family also fits with themes she has discussed in her books, particularly the importance of daily habits, wellbeing, and a more intentional lifestyle.
Gisele Bündchen’s Books
Bündchen has also established herself as an author.
Her memoir, Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life, was published in 2018. The book combines personal stories with reflections on the experiences and habits that shaped her life and career. Google Books lists the title as a 240-page biography and memoir published by Penguin.
She later released Nourish, a cookbook focused on food, routines, mindfulness, and family-oriented healthy living. Clarkson Potter published the book on March 26, 2024.
The two books show how her public identity expanded beyond modeling. Instead of presenting fashion as the sole focus of her career, Bündchen used publishing to discuss personal values, food, lifestyle, and wellbeing.
Gisele Bündchen’s Environmental Work
Environmental advocacy is one of the most substantial parts of Bündchen’s work outside fashion.
The United Nations Environment Programme appointed her a Goodwill Ambassador in 2009. UNEP’s current profile identifies her as an emeritus Goodwill Ambassador and highlights her involvement in environmental and philanthropic projects.
One of her initiatives is the Luz Alliance Fund, created in partnership with BrazilFoundation in 2020. The fund initially provided humanitarian assistance during the COVID-19 crisis in Brazil before expanding its focus to environmental conservation and the regeneration of Brazilian ecosystems.
The fund continued its work after the pandemic. BrazilFoundation’s 2024 annual report says Luz Alliance supported 21 organizations involved in emergency response and community rebuilding following the severe 2024 floods in Rio Grande do Sul.
Bündchen has also supported the Agua Limpa Project and other environmental efforts, helping make sustainability a consistent part of her public work rather than a short-term celebrity campaign.
Gisele Bündchen’s Legacy
Gisele Bündchen’s career stands out because it extends far beyond traditional modeling milestones.
She became a defining face of fashion during the late 1990s and 2000s, reached the top of global model earnings, and helped bridge high fashion with mainstream celebrity culture. Her 2015 runway retirement marked the end of one chapter, but not the end of her professional life.
Since then, her work has increasingly included publishing, wellness, philanthropy, environmental advocacy, and selective fashion appearances. That broader career helps explain why Gisele Bündchen remains a major name in popular culture more than three decades after she first entered modeling.
Her story is ultimately less about a single runway era and more about how a model turned global recognition into a long-term public career across fashion, family, publishing, and environmental causes.
FAQs
How old is Gisele Bündchen?
Gisele Bündchen was born on July 20, 1980, in Horizontina, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. She is 46 years old as of September 2026.
Is Gisele Bündchen still a model?
Yes, but she no longer works as a regular runway model. She retired from professional runway work in 2015 while continuing with campaigns, editorial work, fashion projects, and appearances.
Who is Gisele Bündchen married to?
As of September 2026, Bündchen is married to Joaquim Valente. They married in December 2025 in Surfside, Florida.
How many children does Gisele Bündchen have?
Gisele Bündchen has three children. She shares Benjamin and Vivian with former husband Tom Brady and welcomed a son with Joaquim Valente in February 2025.
What is Gisele Bündchen known for besides modeling?
She is also known for environmental advocacy, philanthropy, authorship, and wellness-related work. She has served as a UNEP Goodwill Ambassador and has supported environmental initiatives through the Luz Alliance Fund.
What books has Gisele Bündchen written?
Her major books include Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life, published in 2018, and Nourish, published in 2024.
Source list
- United Nations Environment Programme: Gisele Bündchen, September 9, 2026.
- BrazilFoundation: Luz Alliance Fund, September 9, 2026.
- BrazilFoundation: 2024 Annual Report, September 9, 2026.
- British Vogue: Gisele Bundchen biography, September 9, 2026.
- Forbes: The World’s Highest Paid Models, September 9, 2026.
- Associated Press via CBS News: Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen announce divorce after 13 years, September 9, 2026.
- People: Gisele Bündchen Marries Jiu-Jitsu Instructor Joaquim Valente 3 Years After Divorce from Tom Brady, September 9, 2026.
- People: All About Gisele Bündchen’s Baby Boy with Husband Joaquim Valente, September 9, 2026.
- Penguin Random House: Nourish by Gisele Bündchen, September 9, 2026.
- Google Books: Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life, September 9, 2026.
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