Now that Gisele Bündchen is officially a single woman, she is wasting no time moving on from NFL legend Tom Brady. The Brazilian supermodel was recently seen out on a dinner date with her new reported love interest, Joaquim Valente, who also happens to be her jiujitsu instructor.
The two were spotted on vacation in Costa Rica along with her and Brady’s two children, 12-year-old Benjamin and 9-year-old Vivian. (Dang she’s already taking the kids on vacation with the next man). The 42-year-old is working to get back to living her best life now that she is no longer in the shadow of her ex-husband’s larger-than-life professional football persona and the lifestyle sacrifices made to keep him at the top of the quarterback food chain.
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Now the streets are wondering who is Joaquim Valente and is this serious? First, the two have known each other for a while and their weekend outing was anything but private. Joaquim and fellow jiujitsu instructor Jordan grabbed food at Koji restaurant in the Provincia de Puntarenas district of Costa Rica on Saturday with Bündchen and the kids.
She reportedly has known Valente since 2021, which was confirmed by a photo shoot with Joaquim and his fellow jiujitsu instructor brothers, Pedro and Gui. The trio owns a jiujitsu facility called Valente Brothers in South Florida.
In February, Bündchen also shared a video on Instagram of herself training with Joaquim.
“I believe the more tools we have in our toolbox the better,” Bündchen told her followers in February. “I feel stronger, more confidence and empowered since I started practicing self-defense. I feel it’s an important skill for all, but specially for us women. Thank you @ValenteBrothers for … making training so much fun. I am looking forward to keep improving. Let’s go!”
Ironically, Brady commented on the video then, writing, “you never cease to amaze me,” then jokingly sharing the post on Twitter, saying that his “days of leaving dishes in the sink are numbered.”
It 👀like Gisele Bündchen and Jiu- Jitsu instructor Joaquin Valente were spotted in Costa Rica having dinner together. The two known each other for 1 1/2 yrs. He used to be her instructor. Looks like he’s doing more than training “Allegedly “ They say their not dating. #Trending pic.twitter.com/f3sRADO7yy
— LadyBlaze/ Camille J (@Ladyblazebarb7) November 14, 2022
The Valente brothers started learning jiujitsu “from their father before they could walk,” per their business website, and now all teach at their facility.
“At the tender age of 2, Pedro, Gui and Joaquim were already taking private lessons from Grandmaster Hélio Gracie,” the company’s website continues. “Growing up, the Valente brothers trained daily at the Gracie Academy in Rio de Janeiro.”
The Gracie family is considered the foundation of Brazilian jiujitsu practitioners, with Royce Gracie becoming a bedrock star of the early UFC. The family spread the gospel of “the gentle art” across the United States and is the first family of the sport. The bottom line is Joaquim learned from the best.
In 1993, his brother Pedro Valente began teaching classes in Miami and launched the family’s academy five years later. Joaquim, who was still living in Brazil, was “work[ing] with Grandmaster Hélio directly and provid[ing] Pedro and Gui with valuable information.” Eventually, he moved to the United States in 2007.
Bündchen and Valente are reportedly just “longtime friends,” but it hasn’t stopped speculation, especially now that they are taking trips together. Joaquim’s Instagram is private, but it is no secret that the timing of his trip with Bündchen is suspect in the wake of her pending divorce.
Meanwhile, Tom Brady led the Bucs to a huge win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday and reportedly says he is at peace with the divorce. When your first love is the gridiron, what else do you really need?
