Sophia Michaels
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Gisele Bündchen has been private about her relationship with Joaquim Valente, but that hasn’t stopped the public from being curious. Rumors about their romance began after they were spotted together in Costa Rica shortly after her split from Tom Brady in October 2022, though they had met prior to that.
For over a year, Bündchen and her children, Benjamin and Vivian, had been training in jiu-jitsu with Valente and his siblings at their Miami school. Initially, their connection was purely friendly, but that shifted to romance in the summer of 2023, resulting in Bündchen’s pregnancy shortly thereafter.
As their relationship evolved quickly, Bündchen is still cautious about publicly sharing it. Her social media mentions of Valente have only related to their jiu-jitsu practices, and Valente keeps his Instagram private, indicating a mutual desire to maintain privacy. However, details have emerged revealing their relationship’s progression.
How Gisele Bündchen Met Joaquim Valente in 2021
Bündchen first encountered Valente while still married to Tom Brady. Seeking to introduce her son to martial arts, Gisele found the Valente Brothers Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school through a friend. Her intentions were initially focused on her son, but Gisele’s interest in martial arts blossomed as she connected with its philosophy.
By early 2022, she was committed to jiu-jitsu training, feeling empowered through self-defense practice, particularly as a woman. As her marriage was deteriorating, Gisele leaned on Valente for friendship during this tough period, leading to deeper feelings as their bond grew.
An insider revealed that Valente provided support to Gisele through her divorce, maintaining their close friendship throughout those challenges.
Bündchen’s Trip with Valente Post-Divorce
Shortly after her divorce filing in November 2022, Bündchen was spotted vacationing with Valente in Costa Rica along with her children. This led to speculation about their relationship, especially since it suggested a level of comfort and intimacy with Valente around her kids.
However, sources indicate that at that time, they were still friends, and Valente’s inclusion in the trip was part of their ongoing friendship, with another instructor accompanying them as well. The trips they took together have been framed as a supportive and nurturing relationship rather than a romantic one at that point.
Insiders confirmed that Valente and his brothers had been integral to the family’s martial arts training for some time, emphasizing the platonic nature of their earlier interactions.
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InMag that Jordan and Valente had been on about four or five trips to Costa Rica with the family and that the one in question just happened to be shortly after the divorce. “They’ve been there a lot and will continue to travel there,” the insider said.
