From Joaquim Valente’s family legacy in jiu-jitsu to how he found his way into Gisele Bündchen’s life, the story is built on training, privacy, and a romance that quietly grew into a family. Bündchen praised Valente in a June 2026 Father’s Day tribute, calling
Joaquim Valente’s life with Gisele Bündchen didn’t start with headlines. It began with something far more grounded: jiu-jitsu, a shared language of discipline, and the kind of routine that—slowly—can turn “friends” into a future.
Bündchen and Valente have been building their life together since Bündchen’s 2022 divorce from Tom Brady. What started as a friendship through Valente’s jiu-jitsu training program eventually blossomed into a romance. Their first child together arrived in early 2025, and the couple reportedly tied the knot later that year.
Bündchen has two older children—son Benjamin Rein and daughter Vivian Lake—whom she shares with Brady. Their new baby joined that family in early 2025.
In a Father’s Day tribute shared in June 2026, Bündchen praised Valente as an “incredible role model” and thanked him for the “love, humility, integrity, discipline, kindness and consistency” he brings to their family.
While Bündchen and Valente have largely kept their relationship private, they’ve become one of Hollywood’s most talked-about couples since first being linked in late 2022.
After Bündchen divorced Brady in October 2022, she was spotted with Valente in November. Dating rumors followed, but the couple clarified they were just friends. Their friendship shifted into something romantic, and they began quietly dating in mid-2023. In February 2024. an insider said Valente offered “a huge comfort for Gisele while she went through her divorce. ” and added that Bündchen and Valente began dating after her divorce was finalized. The insider also described him as “down to earth. kind. and inspiring. ” saying Bündchen had been hesitant about dating after the divorce but that it had “felt very natural for her to be with Joaquim.”.
The timeline of their bond runs alongside Valente’s own roots in the sport. He comes from a family of jūjutsu practitioners: the Valente Brothers’ website says that in a span of 67 years. three generations of the Valente family practiced jūjutsu under the direct tutelage of legendary grandmaster Hélio Gracie. The site says Dr. Syllo Valente and his brother. General Eliezer Valente. were the first to discover jūjutsu. taught by a Japanese friend with basic self-defense principles in the 1920s. When Carlos and Hélio Gracie opened their Academia Gracie in downtown Rio de Janeiro in 1952, the Valentes enrolled.
The family history goes further. describing that Pedro. Gui. and Joaquim began learning jūjutsu from their father before they could walk. At the age of two. the site says Pedro. Gui. and Joaquim were already taking private lessons from Grandmaster Hélio Gracie. Growing up. the brothers trained daily at the Gracie Academy in Rio de Janeiro under Hélio. Royler. and Rolker Gracie. Pedro Sr. is described as always wanting his sons to learn jūjutsu as a complete fighting system.
Valente is also Brazilian, and in February 2024, People reported that their “similar backgrounds” is one quality Bündchen appreciates. A source told the outlet that they both left Brazil very young. both created “amazing lives” in the U.S. and both love Miami while also enjoying traveling. The source also said they both enjoy healthy living. and added that Bündchen was “happy and very much enjoying life. ” with Joaquim “perfect for her.”.
Education and location also place Valente close enough to Bündchen’s orbit to feel inevitable. The family website says the youngest Valente brother moved to Miami in 2007 to study criminology at Barry University. A LinkedIn page attributed to Joaquim lists that he attended Barry University from 2007 to 2011. and says that while studying. he studied with Grand Master Hélio Gracie. The family website adds that in 2007. Joaquim received the Professors’ Diploma from Grandmaster Hélio Gracie. calling it a great accomplishment and honor for the brothers. especially given that in 75 years only 27 people received this diploma.
Joaquim’s LinkedIn profile lists him as based out of Miami Beach, Florida. Bündchen has been living in Florida since Tom signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. In late February 2024. a source told Page Six that Valente was spending most nights at Bündchen’s Miami home after her mom. Vania Nonnenmacher. passed away at the end of January 2024. The source said he became her “rock. ” and also claimed they had been showing off more PDA—after keeping things quiet. there had been “more PDA. ” and they were “happy to be affectionate with each other in public.”.
Long before the romance became widely discussed, there were already signs of familiarity. In a video she posted to her Instagram. Bündchen showed her fans that she clearly knew a thing or two about the sport. giving a preview of her skills while shouting out the Valente facility in Miami. She wrote on Instagram, “I believe the more tools we have in our toolbox the better. I feel stronger. more confident. and empowered since I started practicing self-defense. ” adding that it’s an “important skill for all. but especially for us women.” She thanked @ValenteBrothers for being awesome teachers and for making training so much fun. saying she was “looking forward to keep improving.”.
People reported more details about their relationship in February 2024. including that they have been dating since June 2023 and were taking it slow. The insider said they started out as great friends first. that Bündchen is very private about this. and that she wanted to keep it quiet while they got to know each other.
Bündchen has also described how Valente entered her life through her son. In a feature in Dust magazine. she said. “It’s actually because of my son that I met Joaquim.” She explained that a friend told her about the Valent brothers and their martial arts school. and since she wanted to steer her almost teenage son in the right direction. she thought he might be interested. She said that initially she wasn’t even considering it for herself. but when she bought Ben into the first class and started talking with Joaquim. she realized it was much more than self-defense. She added that her daughter, Vivienne, also got into jūjutsu.
The story of Joaquim Valente alongside Bündchen reads like a mix of two worlds finding overlap: deep training rooted in Gracie’s lineage. and a personal relationship that grew from mentorship and routine into something far bigger. Even as they became a subject of widespread curiosity. the central details keep circling back to the same theme—what began in practice became family.
Joaquim Valente Gisele Bündchen husband Tom Brady divorce jiu-jitsu Hélio Gracie Valente Brothers Benjamin Rein Vivian Lake Vania Nonnenmacher Miami Beach Barry University Dust magazine