Gisele Bündchen has her name stamped in the fashion sphere as one of the most sought after models in the world. In 2007, Forbes ranked Gisele as the 16th richest woman in the entertainment industry. In 2012, she led the list of world's highest paid model list, and upheld her spot for many years. In addition to modeling, Bündchen also has a few acting credits to her name. To seal up her influence in Hollywood, Bündchen tied the knot with NFL star Tom Brady. Since getting married, the duo have been dubbed one of the industry's power couples.
Over the years, Bündchen's fans have been filled with admiration, seeing how the star rose through the ranks. It goes without saying that the supermodel has etched her name in the sands of times. However, currently, Bündchen is not half as active in the modeling industry as she used to be. Needless to say she has gone through a transformative phase that saw her morph from humble beginnings, to being a global star, a mom and a wife. Check out how the supermodel is in charge of it all.
9 Humble Beginnings
Bündchen grew up a small-town girl with a bank clerk mom and a university teacher dad. Bündchen and her parents lived in a three-bedroom home with her five sisters. The star once recalled how her childhood was filled with her proactive personality and how she was always "hyper." Because of this, her parents signed her up for many extracurricular classes like gymnastics and modeling.
8 The Start Of Her Modeling Career
Bündchen, whose long legs were a target for bullies, soon realized that legs were, in fact, sought after. It all began at 14 during her school's trip to Rio. A scout spotted her and planted the modeling seed. Soon enough, Bündchen stopped school and decided to follow her newfound love in the fashion world. As a teenager, she moved to New York City with only $50. At the end of her first day, Bündchen did not have her $50 because someone stole it.
7 The Big Break
Despite taking modeling classes, Bündchen had no idea what the job was about. The model was rejected a total of 47 times before during her earliest modeling days. However, rather than give up, Bündchen kept striving. And then, her big break came. The star's big break came through fashion designer Alexander McQueen. At the time, Bündchen was 17. This was also the time she earned her fashion moniker, "the body."
6 Love, Marriage, And Family
In February 2009, Bündchen married the love of her life, NFL star Tom Brady. The couple welcomed their first child Benjamin only a few months later after tying the knot. Bündchen's second child, Vivian, was born three years later in 2012. She is also a stepmom to Brady's son, John, from a previous relationship. She often calls the youngster her "bonus child" and from all we can tell, there is nothing but love between this family.
5 Motherhood Struggles
While many of her pictures remained glossy and life seemed to be going well for the model, there were also some challenges. After starting a family Bündchen struggled to find a balance between her career and being a mom. The model once took to social media, sharing a picture of herself getting glammed up for the runway while breastfeeding her child. The picture-perfect image showed that despite the joy that comes with it, motherhood is truly a struggle.
4 Gisele The Author
In 2018, Bündchen released her book, Lessons: My Path to A Meaningful Life where she detailed her life as a model, a wife, and a mother. The book nabbed the New York bestseller title and remained so for six months. Talk about a bundle of talents!
3 Self-Care Anyone?
Juggling a career with being a mom and wife is everything but easy. And like most moms in similar situations, self-care becomes something of a luxury when kids come into the picture. Over the years, Bündchen has been open about how sometimes, spending time away from her children when she's working makes her feel like an incompetent mom. Even when they are at work with her, she still carries the weight of guilt.
The model however also recognizes that self-care is an important part of her role as a mother. Bündchen has in the past encouraged women to give motherhood their all but also maintains that it is necessary to practice self-care.
2 Charity And Philanthropy
In addition to being a model, wife, and mother, Bündchen is also heavily invested in charity and philanthropy. In 2010, Bündchen collaborated with former President Bill Clinton to provide clean water for people who needed it. In 2020, the model formed an alliance with the Brazil Foundation to donate 1 million reals to provide COVID-19 relief materials for families in Brazil.
Similarly, Bündchen is a big activist for environmental conservation and has openly advocated for social and environmental issues. To celebrate her 40th birthday in 2020, the model donated funds for the planting of 40,000 trees in Brazil.
1 Motherhood Redefined
Once speaking of motherhood, Bündchen noted how much she despised the backhanded way motherhood was described. The star noted that there should be no words that describe a mother as "just a mom." She pointed out that the job of mothers encompasses all because they are in charge of raising children who in turn grow up to influence the world and its affairs.