When quarterback Tom Brady and actress Bridget Moynahan ended their three-year relationship back in 2006, they became the talk of the town. No one saw it coming because, at that time, it seemingly just came out of nowhere.
The couple had been very tight-lipped about their split. The only thing said about it was a statement made by Moynahan’s representative for the digital outlet People. According to the rep, it was an amicable decision made several weeks before the announcement, and there will be no further comments.
So, of course, fans have grown quite curious about what truly happened between them.
Shortly after their breakup, Brady started dating Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen. With how everything fitted into the timeline, many speculated that she might have been the reason that Brady and Moynahan came to a head.
According to The List, ‘chances are Moynahan didn’t end it,’ noting her Harper’s Bazaar interview that she was heartbroken during that time.
Before Bündchen, there was Bridget.
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Tom Brady and Bridget Moynahan were riding the wave of their career high when they were first linked in 2004. Brady had just gotten his second ring as the New England Patriots quarterback. At the same time, Moynahan had a string of successful films and shows, including Sex and the City, Coyote Ugly, Serendipity, and The Recruit.
Below is a timeline of their relationship and their milestones.
2004
On February 1, Brady celebrated his second Superbowl win with his stunning brunette, Monayhan. It was the Superbowl XXXVIII where New England Patriots championed over the Carolina Panthers.
According to a report published by Sports Illustrated, Moynahan arrived first at the victory party. The new couple was very affectionate with each other – hugging, kissing, and whispering a lot – all night. It was the first time that the famed quarterback was given some space.
An interesting moment that night was when Moynahan reacted toughly to an aggressive male suitor. Recalling what had happened, she said she thought about punching the man, but she didn’t because of Brady.
A few months later, the two were spotted in New York City in April. Moynahan dazzled with a white coat with fur trim, while Brady kept it simple yet chic with a pin-striped suit.
The two attended the opening of the flagship store of the Italian luxury fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna. Brady’s fellow quarterback Peyton Manning, as well as NFL players Michael Strahan and Jesse Palmer, were also in attendance.
In July, Brady joined Moynahan at the Los Angeles premiere of her sci-fi thriller with Will Smith titled I, Robot. The couple was all smiles and looking so in love on their first red carpet appearance.
After two weeks, it was Moynahan’s turn to show some support. She accompanied Brady at the ESPY Awards, where he was nominated in three categories: Best Male Athlete, Best Championship Performance, and Best NFL Player. He didn’t take home any of the three, but he got the Best Game award with his team.
2005
Ever since they started dating, the couple had kept their relationship private. But, in June, Steve Kroft got the chance to do a rare sit-down interview with Brady on his program 60 Minutes and ask about Moynahan.
He opened up, saying, “I can be myself around her, and there’s not many people I can be myself around. It’s fun to be around your best friends who know you well, and she’s someone that I consider one of my very best friends.”
2006
After staying out of the limelight for the past year, the couple graced the Met Gala red carpet in May. They wore matching black ensembles – Moynahan with a strapless, body-hugging black dress paired with a glamorous silver necklace and Brady with a tuxedo with a black velvet jacket.
Unfortunately, this was the last public appearance of Brady and Moynahan as a couple. They broke up in December 2006, which surprised a lot of fans because, as much as they were a private couple, they had no issues or anything that would’ve hinted it would happen.
Plot Twists
After their breakup, there was much chatter about what might have happened between the seemingly happy ex-couple. The mystery didn’t last long when Brady was reported to be dating supermodel Gisele Bündchen.
According to sources, the two met on a blind date for the first time at Turks & Frogs in New York City shortly after Brady’s split with Moynahan. In a later interview with Vanity Fair, Bündchen shared that she knew Brady was the one the moment she saw him.
Then cue another unexpected twist to the story. Just two and a half months into Brady’s new relationship, the New York Post reported that Moynahan was pregnant. Moynahan’s rep confirmed the news, saying that the actress was three months pregnant at the time and her ex-boyfriend Tom Brady was the father.
After the confirmation, Brady initially shared a statement through his agent Don Yee expressing his and his family’s excitement with the news and gratitude for everyone who had shown their support.
Talking with Howard Stern in a later interview, the quarterback admitted that his original plan was to have kids in his late thirties. While it was challenging not only with the timing but also the situation, he showed up.
He also took the time to acknowledge Moynahan and how it was also a challenging time for her ‘because she didn’t envision that either.’
In the July 2008 Harper’s Bazaar issue, Moynahan talked about her split with Brady for the first time and becoming a single mom. She said that it was such a traumatic time for her, being heartbroken and pregnant at the same time.
Her world was turned upside down and then inside out. However, despite the unexpected timing and the fears and anxieties that came with it, she felt a hundred percent that she could be a mom.
Then there was Bündchen, who was definitely pushed into an uncomfortable position. In her 2018 memoir, she opened up that the relationship was new, and she felt like her world had turned upside down at that moment. Despite that, she remained by Brady’s side, and the couple married in 2009.
The Arrival of Baby Jack
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On August 22, 2007, Brady and Moynahan finally welcomed their baby boy named John “Jack” Edward Thomas in Los Angeles. Both mom and baby were both healthy.
Brady skipped practice that day and took a private jet to accompany Moynahan. Initially, the football player wasn’t sure if he’d be able to get time off, so the actress was happy that he made it.
He wasn’t holding her hand while she pushed, but he was there. He also texted friends with birth updates and spent a few days with his son.
With Brady’s busy schedule and the geographical between him in Boston and Moynahan in LA, he couldn’t be with Jack all the time. Nevertheless, he still made time. During his bye week for the New England Patriots, he visited his family to spend some quality father-son time and help with everything, including changing the diapers.
Blended Family
Brady and Moynahan had kept their family life and their son Jack away from the spotlight, just like how they protected each other back when they were still together. Still, the media liked to stir up issues like Moynahan and Bündchen’s animosity, which was allegedly going on for years.
In the March 2011 issue of More magazine, Moynahan finally spoke about their family. She said that she had never publicly commented about Brady or his wife.
“I have a relationship with these people on a daily basis. I’m raising a child, and it’s public. The media creates these dramas, and that’s not what’s happening in my life,” the actress expressed.
She added that her son has two loving parents and a supportive extended family. In fact, in 2014, she and Bündchen were spotted with the whole family chilling and laughing in a park in NYC. They also attended Jack’s soccer game together on the sidelines.
In 2019, Moynahan spoke with People about co-parenting with Brady and their respective partners (Brady and Bündchen and she and business Andrew Frankel whom she married in October 2015).
Moynahan said that she and Tom decided to raise Jack together. After all, they are partners who supported their endeavor and loved their son as if he were their own. “I don’t think you can ask for more than that. My son is surrounded by love and grandparents that go on forever, and it’s all good.”
Through the Years
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Despite the sudden end of their relationship, the controversies, and the media scrutiny they faced, the former couple maintained a strong relationship as friends and Jack’s parents.
Moynahan made it a point to still follow and support Brady and his team. In 2015, she posted a congratulatory tweet to her son’s father after his four-game “Deflategate” suspension was thrown out.
In 2021, she tweeted her support for him when he secured a spot with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl. And when Brady won his first ring with the Bucs, she made a congratulatory message for him along with photos of him during the game.
Of course, Brady didn’t miss out on greeting his ex-girlfriend on her 50th birthday. He posted a rare photo of her with her son Jack on his Instagram story with a caption saying, “Happy Birthday @bridgetmoynahan we hope you have a GREAT day.”
He also made sure to greet her on Mother’s Day. He shared a snapshot of their blended family: him, Jack, his ex Moynahan, and his wife, Bündchen.
In 2022, after Brady announced his un-retirement from the NFL, Moynahan quickly sent out her support, saying, “Thank God, I had no idea what I was going to do with my Sundays.”
A year later, the NFL quarterback announced that he was retiring for good. He posted a series of photos on his story to commemorate the event. One was a photo of him and Moynahan with their now grown-up son, Jack.
A New Chapter
Last October 2022, Brady and Bündchen made headlines. After thirteen years of marriage and two kids, the couple filed for divorce. According to reports, they filed in Florida, where Brady played for the Bucs, and the settlement had all been worked out.
Moynahan, who had always been active on social media, raised some eyebrows after she shared a quote from marriage and family therapist Vienna Pharaon. It was about how ‘not everything is meant to be mended’ amid her ex-boyfriend’s marriage drama.
While the message can be considered rich and not too subtle, there were still a lot of contexts to unpack. Monayhan didn’t make any further comments after that.
There you go. That’s our wrap-up on Tom Brady and Bridget Moynahan’s relationship!