Tom Brady’s private struggle during the final months of his marriage to Gisele Bündchen has come under fresh scrutiny. A new biography about the seven-time Super Bowl champion details an 11-day break he took from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022 as he tried to work through personal issues. The account also describes how deeply the situation appeared to affect Brady’s physical appearance and mood, according to people around the team at the time.
Tom Brady’s marriage struggle reportedly took a physical toll
The details come from Lars Anderson’s upcoming biography, Brady: An American Story and the Price of Greatness, which is scheduled for release on September 29. Anderson drew on more than 350 interviews for the book, although Brady himself did not participate in the project.According to an excerpt reported ahead of the book’s release, people around the Buccaneers noticed a significant change in Brady during the period when his marriage was under severe strain. The book says he lost close to 20 pounds, prompting concern among those who knew him.Former Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians connected the weight loss to the pressure Brady was facing in his personal life.“For Tom to lose that much weight, on his frame, it was a lot. It was very clear that the reason for the weight loss was the stress from the personal issues he was dealing with,”Another coach offered an even more striking description of Brady’s appearance at the time:“With all respect, he looked like a cancer patient with really good hair. He just seemed miserable, not even close to the Tom we all loved. He was so stressed.”The comments describe how noticeable the change was to people inside the Buccaneers organisation. They do not establish a medical diagnosis, but they reflect the concern surrounding Brady’s condition during that period.
Tom Brady’s 11-day attempt to save his marriage to Gisele Bündchen
The biography also details Brady’s reported decision to step away from the Buccaneers during training camp in 2022. He told quarterback coach Clyde Christensen that he needed time to deal with “some personal things” before travelling to the Bahamas.According to the book, Brady met Bündchen at a private resort during the 11-day absence in an attempt to work through their marital problems. When he returned to the team, Christensen reportedly felt that Brady seemed profoundly changed, describing him as an “empty shell.”The couple ultimately announced their divorce in October 2022 after more than a decade of marriage. The new account offers another glimpse into the difficult period before their split, while much of the couple’s private relationship remains known only to Brady and Bündchen.