One of this year's gossipy footnotes to the NFL season is that Tom Brady's decision to come out of retirement has put a serious strain on his marriage to Gisele Bundchen. Her absence at last week's Tampa Bay opener was duly noted. Now CNN is out with a report—based on anonymous sources—that the high-profile couple is living separately as they work out "marital issues." It comes a day after People (also citing an anonymous source) reported that Bundchen wants Brady at home for kids Benjamin, 12, Vivian, 9, and stepson Jack, 15.
That's in sync with comments Bundchen made to Elle for its October issue. "Obviously, I have my concerns—this is a very violent sport, and I have my children and I would like him to be more present," she told the magazine. "I have definitely had those conversations with him over and over again. But ultimately, I feel that everybody has to make a decision that works for [them]. He needs to follow his joy, too." For his part, Brady this week acknowledged the toll his career has taken on his family life on the "Let's Go!" podcast he co-hosts.
"I think when you're 45, and you have a lot of other commitments and obligations which are very important to you—namely children that are growing up," he said, per CNN. "I haven't had a Christmas in 23 years and I haven't had a Thanksgiving in 23 years, I haven't celebrated birthdays with people that I care about that are born from August to late January. And I'm not able to be at funerals and I'm not able to be at weddings." (More Tom Brady stories.)