For the second time, in less than 3 months, supermodel Gisele Bündchen visited Costa Rica together with her Jiu-Jitsu instructor, Joaquim Valente. The couple was captured by the paparazzi and the images were published by the American site Page Six.
According to the publication, the Brazilians were seen in Santa Teresa -where she has a house- at the beginning of January 2023. This site consulted with the Migration office, which reported that she entered on January 7th and left on January 20th. Regarding him, there are no immigration reports; at least, not under that name.
Horseback riding for relaxing
In the photos that Page Six has, Bündchen and Valente are seen riding a horse very relaxed. In fact, he is more attentive to those who take photos of them; but, in turn, she does not give it the slightest importance.
Page Six indicated -from sources close to her- that “the couple’s relationship is strictly platonic and professional. Joaquim and his 2 brothers have been instructing Gisele and her children in martial arts for the past year and a half”, the site said. Another insider told the publication that he travels “with the family when they are out of town because her children are home-schooled”.
Divorce rumors since November 2022
Gisele Bündchen was captured last November with Valente leaving a restaurant in Santa Teresa. Images published by Page Six show Bündchen dressed in very casual clothes walking in a relaxed way with Valente.
Also featured in the Page Six photos are her instructor with her 2 children: 12-year-old Benjamin and 9-year-old Vivian. The 2 little ones are the result of the relationship that Bündchen had with the American footballer Tom Brady, from whom she recently divorced. Both parents announced the end of their 13-year relationship late last month.
The couple met in 2006. In January 2009, he proposed to her, and a month later, they tied the knot in Santa Monica, California. In April of that same year, the couple married for the second time in Costa Rica.
Who is Joaquim Valente?
The age of the athlete is not clear, but media such as Page Six and the New York Post report that the Brazilian learned the technique of Jiu-Jitsu “since before he could walk”. He moved to Florida to study criminology, where he also joined his brothers Pedro and Gui at the family academy.
In 2021, Joaquim and his brothers posed with Bündchen for a Dust magazine report. At the beginning of this year, she published some sessions of this discipline on her Instagram account. “I think the more tools we have in our toolbox, the better”,Bündchen posted. “I feel stronger, more confident and empowered since I started practicing self-defense. I feel like it is an important skill for everyone, but especially for us women. Thank you @ValenteBrothers for being such amazing teachers and making training so much fun. I really want to keep improving. Let’s go!”, the supermodel published on her social media.
Her divorce from Brady
“In recent days, my wife and I finalized our divorce, after 13 years of marriage. We came to this decision amicably and with gratitude for the time we have spent together. We have been blessed with beautiful and wonderful children who will continue to be the center of our world in every way. We will continue to work together as parents to make sure they always get the love and attention they deserve. We came to the decision to end our marriage after much thought. Doing so is, of course, painful and difficult, as it is for so many people who go through the same thing, every day, all over the world. However, we only wish the best for each other as we follow the new chapters of our lives that are yet to be written”, he said.
Meanwhile, she posted a message in which she thanked her -now- ex-sentimental partner and father of her 2 children: Vivian Lake Brady and Benjamin Rein Brady.
At the same time, she asked the media to have respect at this time. “The decision to end a marriage is never easy, but we have grown apart and while of course it is difficult to go through something like this, I feel blessed by the time we have spent together; I just wish the best for Tom always”.
Separation of assets and wealth
The couple’s lawyers had a thorny road to discuss common assets and investments; among them, the house that both celebrities have in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica. It is a mansion that both usually visit to do different outdoor activities: yoga and meditation, horseback riding or surfing, according to images that she has shared on social media.
Bündchen even rescued a turtle from fishing nets at the end of last year on one of the national beaches. International media outlets assured that the Brazilian and the American had a strong discussion, which caused her to leave her house in Florida to take refuge in Costa Rica.
In addition to the property they both share in Costa Rica, the couple has a US$17 million house, which they bought in Florida 2 years ago. In fact, this property is undergoing intense remodeling, according to US media. The house is in the very exclusive area called Indian Creek, where the rich and famous tend to go. They also have an apartment in New York, and a huge ranch in Montana.
Gisele Bündchen is worth US$400 million in net wealth. Tom Brady, for his part, earned US$84 million this year alone, mostly from ad campaigns. In addition, he signed a contract with Fox for US$375 million for the next 10 years, once this athlete retires.
