Newly-single Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen has been pictured stepping out with a handsome jiu-jitsu instructor – in photos which sparked a flurry of rumors that the mother-of-two has already moved on from her ex-husband Tom Brady.
Bundchen, 42, finalized her divorce from NFL superstar Brady, 45, two weeks ago. Then, on Saturday evening, she enjoyed a dinner date in Costa Rica – where she has long had a home – with hunky Brazilian fitness trainer Joaquim Valente.
The images prompted speculation that the supermodel had already found a new love in her life – rumors that insiders were quick to slam as nothing more than gossip, telling DailyMail.com exclusively that Bundchen and Valente are nothing more than friends.
Valente, based since 2007 in Miami, is originally from Rio de Janeiro, 1,000 miles north east of Bundchen’s hometown of Horizontina, and runs the Valente Brothers academy with his older brother Pedro and Gui.
He has known Bundchen for at least a year and a half, and teaches the family jiu-jitsu.
Gisele Bundchen and Joaquim Valente are pictured on Saturday night following dinner at a picturesque Japanese restaurant in Costa Rica
Bundchen and Valente both hail from Brazil, and share a love of sport and wellness
Their group included six adults and at least eight children, including Bundchen’s two with Tom Brady
Bundchen, 42, finalized her divorce from Brady two weeks ago and sources close to the model denied romance with the martial arts instructor (pictured)
The group are seen waiting to get into their vehicles in the coastal Costa Rican town
Valente has known Bundchen for over a year and a half, and taught the supermodel and her two children martial arts
Valente and his two brothers – Pedro and Gui – own Valente Brothers Self Defense Gym in Miami, where they teach the submission and grappling-based martial art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Tom and Gisele confirmed that they were divorcing after 13 years of marriage on October 28. They are seen at the Met Gala in May 2019
In August, Bundchen posed for Dust magazine with Valente, discussing her love for martial arts and saying that her children Benjamin, 12, and nine-year-old Vivian were also fans of the sport.
Saturday’s outing included six adults and eight children, including Benjamin and Vivian.
In addition to Valente and Bundchen, the children’s tutor, Jordan, was also present.
The group ate at Koji, a Japanese restaurant in the beach resort of Santa Teresa.
Travel guide Fodor’s describe it as a ‘trendy sushi place off a dusty dirt road’ and say Koji is ‘one of the most popular restaurants in the area.’
‘Fabulous sushi, sashimi, and tempura are carefully crafted, and there’s a daily blackboard menu featuring hand rolls and wraps,’ they note.
‘About 30 wood tables are scattered around a gravel-bottomed, Zenlike garden, with palm trees and a stand of bamboo.
‘The decor is mainly votive candles, flaming torches, and tin-can hanging lamps.’
Yet despite the romantic setting, sources close to the recently-divorced model flatly denied the pair were dating.
‘He’s been her kids jiu-jitsu teacher for years,’ the insider told DailyMail.com. ‘There’s no truth to the rumors that they’re dating.’
Page Six was the first to report that Bundchen and Valente were an item, branding him her ‘new man’ and ‘a new squeeze’.
Saturday night’s excursion was a family affair, with a large number of children running around
Bundchen has owned a house in Costa Rica for several years, and is believed to be keeping it following her divorce
The model and Valente were seen chatting with the group of children and ushering them into a waiting vehicle
The group – which included Brady and Bundchen’s children Benjamin and Vivian – dined out at Koji, a Japanese restaurant in the beach resort of Santa Teresa
Back in February, Gisele shared a video of herself practicing the sport with Joaquim and his brothers at their gym, where at one point, she even put Joaquim in a rear-naked choke.
She gushed about the brothers in the caption of the post, writing: ‘I believe the more tools we have in our toolbox the better. I feel stronger, more confidence and empowered since I started practicing self-defense.
According to a source close to the supermodel, Valente has been teaching her two children with Brady – Benjamin, 12, and Vivian, nine (seen with their parents and Brady’s son John) ‘for years’
‘I feel it’s an important skill for all, but specially for us women. Thank you @ValenteBrothers for being awesome teachers and for making training so much fun. I am looking forward to keep improving. Let’s go! [fist emoji].’
At the time, her then-husband replied to her Twitter post, joking: ‘My days of leaving dishes in the sink are numbered.’
Joaquim and his brothers are sons of Pedro Valente Sr. who was awarded the highest degree in Brazilian jiu-jitsu – the red belt and title of Grand Master by Grandmaster Hélio Gracie, who famously developed the martial art itself.
Tom and Gisele confirmed that they were divorcing after 13 years of marriage on October 28.
In a statement posted to Instagram, the athlete called his and Gisele’s decision to end their relationship ‘painful,’ but vowed to put their kids first so that they ‘receive the love and attention they deserve.’
‘In recent days, my wife and I finalized our divorce from one another after 13 years of marriage,’ he wrote. ‘We arrived at this decision amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together.
‘We are 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 always ensure they receive the love and attention they deserve.
‘We arrived at this decision to end our marriage after much consideration. Doing so is, of course, painful and difficult like it is for many people who go through the same thing every day around the world.
But now, an insider has told DailyMail.com that the pair (seen in February) are just friends, and that Joaquim has served as her kids’ instructor ‘for years’
Joaquim (right) is pictured with his brothers Pedro and Gui Valente, with whom he runs a Miami gym
‘However, we wish only the best for each other as we pursue whatever new chapters in our lives that are yet to be written.’
Gisele and Joaquim appear to go way back, and they even participated in a photoshoot for Dust Magazine together alongside Joaquim’s brothers, Pedro and Giu, last year (seen)
Gisele added in a post of her own: ‘My priority has always been and will continue to be our children whom I love with all my heart.
‘We will continue co-parenting to give them the love, care, and attention they greatly deserve.
‘The decision to end a marriage is never easy, but we have grown apart. It is, of course, difficult to go through something like this.’
The supermodel concluded by stating that she ‘wished’ her ex ‘the best,’ and said she was ‘blessed’ for the ‘time they had together.’
They are expected to share custody of their two children.
Following their divorce, which was swiftly settled thanks to a meticulously-prepared prenup, it was reported that Brady – who is said to be worth approximately $333 million – will gain full ownership of the former couple’s $17 million mansion located in Miami’s Indian Creek Island, which is often referred to as ‘Billionaire Bunker.’
Brady and his ex-wife bought the waterfront property in 2020 before demolishing it and beginning construction on their dream home, which is still underway.
Bundchen, the highest paid supermodel in the world with an estimated $400 million net worth, is believed to have agreed that she will keep their vacation home on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica.
She quietly purchased a modest $1.25 million Miami Beach home in February and has reportedly purchased a larger property also in the Miami area.
It was then reported earlier this month that she had also purchased an $11.5 million mansion directly across the waterway from Brady’s Billionaire Bunker home, just a few weeks before the couple finalized their divorce.
Bündchen closed on the five-bedroom, 6,600-square-foot Miami Beach mansion on October 6, Page Six reported.
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