Gisele Bundchen Opens Up About Severe Panic Attacks After Tom Brady Divorce

Gisele Bündchen is looking back at a difficult chapter that changed how she viewed herself, her career and her health. The former supermodel recently spoke about the panic attacks she experienced in her 20s and how that period forced her to slow down and look inward. Her reflections also offer a glimpse into the mindset that helped her navigate major life changes, including her 13-year marriage to NFL icon Tom Brady and their eventual divorce.

Gisele Bündchen reveals how panic attacks changed her life

Bündchen was already building a demanding modeling career when her personal struggles became impossible to ignore. She had entered the industry as a teenager and spent years living at a relentless pace. By her early 20s, anxiety and panic attacks had become part of her daily reality.

Speaking on the i-D podcast, Bündchen described that period as one of the major turning points of her life.

“I feel like there is many deaths and rebirths in my life,” she shared on the i-D podcast, answering a fan's question. “I think when you're 46, you definitely have gone through a few of those, but I would say one of the most intense ones for me was when I had panic attacks, and I was dealing with it in my early 20s for about two years. I think I was living so much outside of myself, almost detached and trying to be a pleaser.

“It's when I really had to dive deep, and I discovered who I was, and I realized that my body was my temple and I could be the director of my own movie, that I could create my life, and that was very powerful moment. So I'm very grateful. That's why I say, ‘What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.'”

That experience eventually pushed Bündchen toward a more deliberate approach to wellness. She has previously credited changes to her diet and lifestyle with helping her regain a sense of control.

Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady faced major changes together

Bündchen's personal journey continued through her marriage to Tom Brady. The couple married in 2009 and raised two children, Benjamin and Vivian, before ending their marriage in 2022.

Their split came after years of balancing family life with two demanding careers. Brady later acknowledged that the divorce affected him deeply and even influenced his ability to continue playing football.

“It was a challenge,” Brady told FOX News. “It just took a lot out of me in terms of my ability to continue to play.”

Bündchen also described the end of their marriage as painful, particularly because she had imagined their future differently. “It's tough because you imagine your life was going to be a certain way, and you did everything you could, you know?” she told Vanity Fair.

Still, the former couple's separation did not stop Bündchen from focusing on her own growth. Her wellness journey later inspired her 2024 book, Nourish, which reflects her belief that health starts with treating the body with care.

“This is my temple,” Bündchen said on GMA. “I only get one, so I how can I nourish it? And how can I love it? If it's not nourishing me, then I'm not going to eat it. I think that's the number one thing. Making a commitment to your health.”

For Bündchen, the difficult chapters did not define her. They helped reshape her priorities and gave her a clearer understanding of the life she wanted to build beyond the spotlight.