The Truth About Tom Brady And Gisele's Insanely Glamorous Life

There is no such thing as the perfect couple. It just doesn't exist. But if you were to make a list of couples who seem nearly perfect, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen would likely be near the top. One is quite possibly the greatest NFL player of all time. The other was the world's highest-paid model from 2002 to 2017. Both have Hollywood good looks, global fame, well-documented wealth and unimaginable success, in addition to what appears to be a loving relationship and family. What more could you possibly want as a couple?

It's no surprise these two are living a life of luxury. They put it out there on social media accounts for the world to see, from the lavish outfits and exotic vacations to boat trips and romantic gifts. And yet, there are certain aspects about their luxurious lifestyle that might surprise you. Here's the truth about Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen's insanely glamorous life.

Brady popped the question in romantic, but not stuffy, fashion. The Patriots star — who met Bundchen through a friend in 2006 — let her know her apartment was flooding. As you would expect, Bundchen immediately rushed back home to salvage whatever she could and assess the damage, only to realize she had been misled. "When I got there, the whole apartment had candles and rose petals everywhere," Bundchen told Vogue. Hey, you can't say Brady doesn't have a sense of humor.

Next thing you know the prankster is on one knee and Bundchen is scolding him for it. But not because he had tricked her into thinking her apartment was soaking in water. No, she was worried about his knee. "He just had surgery and had three staph infections," Bundchen said in the Vogue interview. "I'm like 'What are you doing?' He's like 'I got to go on my knees.' I'm like 'No, no, no. Get up. Please.'" Even in a moment like that, she was thinking about Brady's health. What a gal!

For such a high profile couple, Brady and Bundchen kept things pretty low key on their wedding day — make that extremely low key. Rather than spend months planning their special day and inviting 200-plus guests, Brady told GQ that they put their wedding together in around 10 days and only invited immediate family. That's right. No fellow supermodels. No fellow football players.

The wedding took place at the Santa Monica Catholic Church in California only a month after they got engaged in 2009, according to Brides. The reception, if you want to call it that, was held at their home. The menu? "We went back to the house and I barbecued aged New York strips. We had champagne, a cake, some ice cream. It was a great night," Brady told GQ, adding that there is "really something special about just having our parents there." See, not every celebrity wedding has to be an over-the-top affair.

There are many benefits to being married to a world-famous supermodel. And, while it's probably not high on that list for Brady, he has the benefit of dating a fashion expert who can dish out fashion advice when need be. Brady knows this perk all too well. He told People that Bundchen "has her own recommendations, and I certainly listen, because if your wife doesn't like it, then you should probably move on to something else."

Not all of Bundchen's suggestions, however, have been a home run — or should we say a touchdown? Brady told People in a separate interview that it was Bundchen who had picked out his widely-mocked Met Gala outfit in 2018, which earned him comparisons on Twitter to everything from a magician to a James Bond super-villain to a Chinese New Year calendar. Twitter can be so cruel. But in this case, also hilariously spot on.

If you're thinking Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen's second wedding was the blowout that the first one wasn't, think again. The wedding took place a few months later at their home in Costa Rica (you didn't think they only had one home, did you?) and included around 40 guests, according to Brady's interview with GQ. And just like the first one, the sequel was teammate- and model-free. Extended family only and three friends a piece. Sorry, Bill Belichick. "The thing about it is, the day's for you," Brady told GQ. "It's nothing personal against anybody, but it's not about them. It's about what you and your wife need for that day."

Bundchen revealed in her book, Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life, (via Boston) that she was barefoot during the quickie ceremony — which took place in their open living room — and there was no formal wedding reception. Guests ate Mexican food and drank margaritas in their kitchen and on the lawn. And no, Brady didn't cook this time. But Bundchen said he did kind of DJ: "Tom had made playlists."

Why simply ride around in a helicopter when you can fly them as well? That's what Bundchen has been doing ever since she received her helicopter license in 2009. And if that isn't enough, she earned her license while seven months pregnant, according to her interview with The Late Late Show with James Corden. So much for taking it easy. Bundchen said she enrolled in lessons for a practical (and perhaps fear-induced) reason: "Usually when I take helicopters there is only one pilot. I wonder what happens if something happens to the pilot. So I thought maybe it would be the perfect time to fly helicopters and this is what I did."

But there seems to be more to the story. The president of Shoreline Aviation told People that Bundchen interest in all things aviation was also due to her role as goodwill ambassador for the UN's Environment Programme: "She is trying to promote alternative fuel, and she's going to be very active doing that."

Family and friends who visit Brady and Bundchen's lavish mansion don't leave empty-handed. The couple has so many pairs of UGG slippers thanks to Brady's endorsement deal with the luxury shoe brand that Bundchen literally gives them away to visitors. "We have a bench when you come in the house, and underneath my wife has a basket full of slippers," Brady told WWD. "Whenever we have people over, she's like, 'Help yourself.'"

It's kind of like households that grow more tomatoes or cucumbers than they know what to them with them. Except rather than give away veggies to neighbors, Brady and Bundchen are handing out slippers that retail for about $100 per pair. Further proof that it's good to be related to or friends with Brady and Bundchen. But there may be an ulterior motive to Bundchen's generosity. Brady told USA Today UGG slippers are "the only shoes I can wear in the house because my wife doesn't want to let anyone wear shoes in the house."

The plan was to "plant roots" in Los Angeles, as Brady put it in Architectural Digest. The couple bought a plot of land in Los Angeles's Brentwood neighborhood in 2008 for a reported $11.75 million and would start from scratch on their future home with the help of architect Richard Landry and interior designer Joan Behnke. Together they constructed the six-bedroom home that includes a garden with apples, peaches, and plums, a stone bridge and — get this — a koi-filled moat. The total bill allegedly came out to $50 million, according to TMZ.

Not long after moving in, the couple surprisingly put the home on the market for $50 million in 2014. The mega-mansion ended up selling for $40 million that same year. The buyer? Hip-hop legend and Beats headphones co-founder Dr. Dre. It was reported that the house was offered furnished, by Dre opted to bring in his own furniture. And that's not the only change he made. He received permits in 2018 to do some serious excavating under the property. What exactly he has planned remains unclear at the time of publishing.

Much has been made about Brady's quirky diet. He eats avocado ice cream — you read that right. And he rarely eats fruits and tomatoes. One of the people behind that heavily plant-based diet is Allen Campbell, who served as Brady and Bundchen's personal chef and helped Brady write his $200 TB12 Nutrition Manual book. Once the media came calling to ask about Brady's diet, Campbell saw his profile rise. "I had no idea that was going to happen," Campbell told Boston Magazine.

It was the perfect opportunity to make a move, and that's exactly what Campbell did. He gave up his sweet gig with Brady and Bundchen to launch his brand, which includes a food service, Avail, his role as a partner chef at ArtScience restaurant in the Boston-area, and co-writing the book The Game of Eating Smart. And don't worry, there are no hard feelings with his former employers, Brady and Bundchen. "They were the ones that said, 'Hey, it's okay, we see you have these opportunities,'" Campbell said.

We know Brady and Bundchen are ridiculously wealthy, but exactly how much are they worth combined? And how does their wealth compare to that of other celebrity couples? The general consensus is that their combined net worth is more than half a billion dollars, with Business Insider estimating that number at $560 million — with Brady's net worth at $180 million and Bundchen at more than double that with a whopping $380 million.

That figure puts Brady and Bundchen ahead of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith ($320 million) and in the same territory as Kimye ($510 million), but still well behind Posh and Becks ($900 million) and Jay Z and Beyonce ($1.35 billion), according to Business Insider. With Bundchen retired from the runway and Brady in the twilight of his NFL career, it remains to be seen if the pair can stay near the top of the list for years to come.

Bundchen is not only worth more than Brady, she's worth a lot more than Brady. We're talking more than double. And, yes, a woman making significantly more than her husband might be a big deal to those with outdated views of relationships between men and women, but not Brady. He's the one who pointed it out in so many words during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

What some might not realize is that Brady could have earned significantly more during his football career, but chose not to. Confused? Brady can explain. "[Teams] can only spend so much," Brady told Jimmy Kimmel. "And the more one guy gets is less for others. I think for a competitive advantage standpoint, I'd like to get a lot of good players around me." In other words, Brady chose winning over money.

The main reason he could do that is his wife. "I think the thing I've always felt for me in my life, winning has been a priority and my wife makes a lot of money. I'm a little smarter than you think." He certainly is. The strategy has helped Brady win six Super Bowls.

Here is a rare case of Brady and Bundchen facing rejection. The couple applied to join the hoity-toity Country Club in the Boston area and, unlike just about everywhere else they go, Brady and Bundchen weren't exactly welcomed with open arms. Instead, their application was put on hold. The Boston Globe reported that members were concerned with the impact two high-profile members could have on the low-key club. Brady was reportedly told they would reexamine their application when he retires.

But the club eventually caved and accepted the world famous couple, only it took about two years to happen. We have to wonder: Why would Brady and Bundchen even bother with the club, which, let's just say has an infamous history of discrimination? For one, it's located conveniently next door to their home. And secondly, the golf course is said to be one of the best in country club. Brady — ever the golf enthusiast — has been spotted playing on the course since getting accepted.

Just because Brady was set to play one of the most important games of his career at Super Bowl LIII in 2019 — a Super Bowl that ultimately gave him his sixth championship ring, more than any other player in NFL history — didn't mean he couldn't make some time for fashion. Brady showed up to the big game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia in head-to-toe Tom Ford.

Page Six valued his brown v-neck sweater at $1,290, his black trousers at $1,890 and his brown suede trench coat at $6,390. Even the white t-shirt he wore underneath was said to be on the pricey side at $450. That's right, $450 for a measly undershirt! When you throw in the rest of the outfit, including his Chelsea boots ($2,150) and canvas tote ($2,690), the look came out to around $13,000 according to Page Six. 

Brady arrived looking like a winner and he left looking as a winner too. The Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams in that Super Bowl by a score of 13-3.

Brady and Bundchen and have kept some interesting "pets" over the years. They had a chicken coop at their Los Angeles home, which is where they would get their eggs. "We have very little waste because the chickens eat all of the vegetable scraps, and anything they won't eat, I put in my compost pile with the chicken poo," Bundchen told Food & Wine. And in their Boston-area home, they are the proud owners of a bee hive. Bundchen told People they harvest the honey and use it as a sweetener in some snacks.

This is all part of Bundchen's insistence on living mindfully and teaching her kids (and husband) about the environment. "It's so important for kids to understand where their food comes from," she told Architectural Digest. "And whether you're talking about a home or the land, it's the same — if you nurture something, it will nurture you back." Sage advice.

Just how much does Tom Brady's No. 12 jersey number mean to him? More than you think, according to a Page Six report. Brady and Bundchen were set to move into an 11th floor apartment in New York's Tribeca neighborhood that overlooked the Hudson River. Price tag: $20 million. But Page Six reported that when the couple visited the 14-floor building in 2017 — which had yet to be completed at that point — Brady had a change of heart. 

Rather than live on the 11th floor as planned, Brady now wanted to move to the 12th floor instead — the implication being that he liked that the 12th floor coincided with his No. 12 jersey number. The five-bedroom, five and a half bathroom apartment on the 12th floor was listed at $32 million — $12 million more than what Brady and Bundchen paid for the 11th floor apartment. 

Ironically, Brady didn't even choose the No. 12 jersey number when he entered the NFL. He got stuck with it because the No. 10 he wore in college at the University of Michigan had already been taken by a punter. A punter!