Tom Brady was reportedly left looking dramatically different as his marriage to Gisele Bundchen fell apart in 2022, with new claims suggesting the NFL legend lost almost 20 pounds during the difficult period.
The details come from Lars Anderson’s forthcoming book, “Brady: An American Story and the Price of Greatness”, which reportedly draws on conversations with Brady’s former coaches and teammates.
Former Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians said Brady’s weight loss was clearly linked to the stress surrounding his personal life, while another coach offered an especially striking description of his appearance.
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Tom Brady’s weight loss reportedly shocked those around him
“For Tom to lose that much weight, on his frame, it was a lot,” Arians said in the book. “It was very clear that the reason for the weight loss was the stress from the personal issues he was dealing with.”
Another coach described Brady as having “cheekbones had freaking cheekbones,” while a former teammate reportedly said he “just seemed miserable” and “not even close to the Tom we all loved”.
One particularly stark description compared Brady to “a cancer patient with really good hair”. The comment was made in the context of describing how stressed and unhappy the quarterback appeared, rather than suggesting he had cancer.
The book claims Brady and Bundchen had been struggling with their marriage for years, with the former model reportedly wanting more time and attention from her husband.
Following New England’s 2018 Super Bowl loss to Philadelphia, Anderson writes that Bundchen “explained that their marriage wasn’t working” and wanted “more of him, more of his time, more of his attention, more of his heart.”
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Brady later made an 11-day attempt to repair the relationship during the 2022 season, reportedly leaving Buccaneers training camp to meet Bundchen in the Bahamas.
His coach Clyde Christensen later said he “didn’t know if [Brady] was ever coming back” and that when the quarterback returned, he “was an empty shell of who he was.”
The marriage ultimately ended in October 2022, with Bundchen reportedly telling Brady they were “not compatible”. The couple had married in 2009 and share two children.
Brady continued his NFL career through the 2022 season before announcing his retirement in February 2023, bringing one of the most successful careers in league history to an end.
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