Tom Brady and Candice Swanepoel’s rumored relationship took a hard hit on Swanepoel’s long-term friendship with Joan Smalls. As rumors of their fallout are making buzz.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
According to Fox News Entertainment, “Tom Brady’s rumored romance with Candice Swanepoel has reportedly torn apart a 15-year friendship between two Victoria’s Secret supermodels.
“Joan Smalls, who reportedly dated Brady on and off for about a year, allegedly called Swanepoel a “backstabber” in since-deleted social media posts and accused her of violating “girl code.””
The “girl code” is about loyalty and respect between friends. One of its unwritten rules is to stay away from a friend’s ex or someone they have feelings for, unless they have discussed it and received their friend’s approval. With Swanepoel rumored to be dating Brady, her alleged relationship could be at odds with the unwritten rule Smalls appears to be referring to.
Sources told Page Six that Smalls is now asking their mutual friends to choose between her and Swanepoel. The situation has reportedly created tension within their Victoria’s Secret circle. Although Brady did not initiate or cause the conflict, Smalls’ reaction to Swanepoel’s dating choice has created the tension.
The rift surfaced when Just Jared reported the two had unfollowed each other on Instagram. This led to speculation that the longtime friends were no longer on good terms.
In separate screenshots obtained by DeuxMoi, Smalls allegedly called Swanepoel a “backstabber.” The comment reportedly came after a fan asked whether the two models were no longer friends. Smalls allegedly replied, “I’m not friends with backstabbers.”
The reported fallout appears to be connected to Smalls’ past relationship with Tom Brady.
“Joan and Tom were seeing each other on and off for about a year between 2023 and 2024. It was never anything super serious, but they were hooking up for a while and still kept in touch afterward,” a source told Us Weekly.
Their long-term friendship may be adding to the sense of betrayal surrounding the situation. The source further explained their relationship, saying, “Candice and Joan had been best friends for years. They basically came up together in the modeling world and through Victoria’s Secret, so they had a really close bond and a long history together.”
Swanepoel’s representative responded to the reported feud in a statement to Page Six, saying, “Candice has always been exceptionally private about her personal life, with her focus remaining on raising her children. She and Joan share a longstanding history and a friendship that Candice will always respect.”
Representatives for Smalls, Swanepoel and Brady did not immediately respond when FOX News Digital asked them for comment. Despite the reported tension, both models walked in the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Joan Smalls and Candice Swanepoel have worked together on several fashion projects, including Vogue Greece’s December 2020 cover shoot and Anne Klein’s Fall/Winter 2025 campaign. However, their reported friendship troubles have now brought their professional history into the spotlight.
Meanwhile, Tom Brady and Candice Swanepoel reportedly began dating in June 2026, according to TMZ. Sources told the outlet that the two had been spending time together for several months and were keeping their relationship private by meeting at quiet places around Miami.
Brady’s reported relationship with Swanepoel comes after his divorce from his ex-wife, Gisele Bündchen.
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen started dating in 2006 and got married in February 2009. They have two children together, Benjamin and Vivian. After 13 years of marriage, they announced their divorce in October 2022 and said they would continue to raise their children together.
While Brady’s rumored relationship with Swanepoel has reportedly caused tension between the two models, it has also raised questions about whether the new romance could affect Swanepoel’s relationship with his ex-wife.
Tom Brady’s ex-wife reportedly has no issues with Candice Swanepoel
Gisele Bündchen reportedly does not consider Candice Swanepoel’s rumored relationship with Tom Brady a betrayal. According to TMZ, people close to Bündchen also believe Swanepoel did nothing wrong by dating her ex-husband, despite social media users accusing her of breaking “girl code.”
Bündchen and Swanepoel have known each other through their modeling careers and have been friendly and supportive of one another. They also appeared in Victoria’s Secret’s 2023 Icon campaign together. However, their professional connection did not develop into a close personal friendship.
According to TMZ, the two models have not been seen together in recent years. Their shared history with Victoria’s Secret and their work in the same fashion circles may have led fans to assume they had a stronger friendship than they actually did.
So, while Swanepoel is reportedly facing trouble in her friendship with Smalls, she may not have similar concerns when it comes to Brady’s ex-wife, who is now happily settled in her new life with her husband, Joaquim Valente. It remains to be seen how things unfold between Swanepoel and Smalls.