According to Brady's head coach, Todd Bowles, the seven-time Super Bowl champ took an 11-day leave of absence in August to "deal with personal things". Video / AP
Tom Brady has taken a lot of blows in his career but it seems none have hurt as much as this one.
As he and his wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen continue to navigate the newly announced rough patch in their marriage, a source claims the 45-year-old quarterback is struggling to process the emotional toll of the rumoured separation.
The quarterback is finding it hard to navigate the rumoured separation. Photo / AP
Now a source close to Brady has told People Magazine how the football icon is dealing with the situation, "It's pretty obvious that he's hurting," the source said. "He feels very hurt by her."
The power couple have been married for over 12 years and share two children together, Benjamin, 12, and Vivian, 9 as well as Brady's son, Jack, 15, whom he shares with his ex, Bridget Moynahan.
Another source told the media outlet, "She [Gisele] is the one steering the divorce," adding, "She is playing offence and he is playing defence. He wants to protect himself, protect his interests, but he's only starting to go the legal route in his defence from her. He doesn't want this to be ugly, he doesn't want to fight. If the divorce is happening — and it seems like it is — he wants it to go as smoothly as possible."
The source went on to say it's a difficult situation for the football star as he is used to winning. They said, "Think about it: Tom has had a very charmed life." Going on to say things always seem to "go his way" and since "he hasn't had a lot of things go wrong in his life. This is awful for him."
The couple share two children, Benjamin, 12, and Vivian, 9 while Tom Brady has Jack, 15, with his ex, Bridget Moynahan. Photo / Instagram
Rumours of the couple's rough patch first made headlines last month when a source revealed to People Magazine that the couple was living apart, with Bündchen spending time in Miami and New York away from her husband.
The alleged separation is rumoured to be because of many things but mainly due to Brady's decision to return to the NFL after a 40-day retirement earlier this year.
A source told Page Six this week, "As with many marriages, it's not just one thing. Gisele has made it clear that she worried about Tom playing football and that they had had many talks about it."
They went on to reveal the couple have "had a series of blowups over the past few years" but admitted this could be the last straw.
However, another source told People Magazine, "It's complicated," and insisted "there's a lot more to it."
New York Post claimed the model was seen with her ring on as recently as June when she, Brady and their children were vacationing in Italy.
While some speculate she has taken the ring off during a workout, others claim it's further evidence her marriage to the NFL star is over and comes amid news the two have hired lawyers and are looking at the option of divorce.
