Famous supermodel Gisele Bundchen is now expecting her first child with her Jiu-Jitsu instructor, Joaquim Valente. She has been training under him at the Valente Brothers academy for several years now, and the pair have also been a relationship for quite some time. It’s unclear exactly when her relationship with Valente began, but she was originally married to NFL quarterback Tom Brady when she first began training BJJ. Her relationship with Brady officially came to an end in 2022 when their divorce was finalised, after 13 years of marriage and a 16-year relationship in total. Bundchen and Brady had two children together in that time, a son born in 2009 and a daughter born in 2012.
Bundchen reportedly first began her BJJ journey back in 2021 under the Valente Brothers and has continued training at their facility ever since. After dedicating her time to the martial art and improving her skills in grappling, she was actually promoted to the rank of purple belt in 2023. Now she will almost certainly be taking a little time away from the sport as she goes through pregnancy and childbirth, as a contact martial art is generally not recommended for pregnant women or women immediately post-partum. The news itself has come from a source close to Bundchen, who is quoted by PEOPLE as saying:
“Gisele and Joaquim are happy for this new chapter in their life, and they’re looking forward to creating a peaceful and loving environment for the whole family,”
By the time Gisele Bundchen and Joaquim Valente met, she was already established as one of the most successful supermodels of all time and Valente had been coaching Jiu-Jitsu for a long time. Bundchen was a Victoria’s Secret Angel from 1999 to 2007 and was at one point the highest-earning supermodel in the world, appearing on over 12,000 magazine covers during her career. Valente on the other hand is one of three brothers in his family who all learned Jiu-Jitsu from an incredibly young age, and he received his black belt and teaching certificate all the way back in 2007 from the legendary Helio Gracie.
