"Softest middle finger to Gisele": Tom Brady’s Instagram post was allegedly a brutal message to Gisele Bündchen after welcoming baby with Joaquim Valente

Tom Brady’s relationship with Gisele Bündchen is back in the spotlight after a new biography made a striking claim about an Instagram post he shared shortly after Bündchen welcomed her first child with Joaquim Valente. The book suggests Brady’s football-themed caption carried a deeper message linked to tensions that had surrounded the couple’s marriage. The interpretation comes from people familiar with Brady’s life, rather than from Brady himself, adding another layer to the story of one of celebrity sports’ most closely followed divorces.Tom Brady’s post raises questions about Gisele BündchenAccording to Lars Anderson’s upcoming biography Brady: An American Story and the Price of Greatness, Brady posted a photograph of himself throwing a football roughly a month after Bündchen gave birth in February 2025.The image might have appeared harmless on its own. However, the book argues that its timing and caption carried significance because football had reportedly been a major source of conflict during Brady and Bündchen’s marriage.The biography describes the post in detail:“Just over a month after the birth, Brady shared a photo of himself on Instagram — his preferred form of mass (and often cryptic) communication,” an excerpt from Brady published in the Daily Mail reads. “In the color photograph, Brady’s right arm is extended and a ball has spiraled out of his hand, silhouetted by the sunset’s golden glow. Underneath, Brady wrote: ‘True Love.’”The book then attributes an interpretation of the post to someone in Brady’s circle.“To those who knew him well, there was no ambiguity,” the book said of the Instagram post. “As one friend described it, that was ‘the softest middle finger.’”That description is an allegation contained in the biography, not a statement from Brady confirming that interpretation.What the new Tom Brady book claims about the divorceBrady and Bündchen ended their 13-year marriage in October 2022. They share two children, Benjamin and Vivian, while Brady also has a son, Jack, from his previous relationship with Bridget Moynahan.The new biography revisits the tensions that reportedly existed before their split, particularly disagreements over Brady’s decision to continue playing football.The book also presents another account of the breakup, claiming Bündchen’s interest in astrology influenced her decision. A source described as close to Brady told Anderson that she eventually concluded the pair were incompatible.Representatives for Brady and Bündchen were contacted for comment, according to Entertainment Weekly. Neither the Instagram caption nor the book’s interpretation establishes Brady’s intent as fact.Brady: An American Story and the Price of Greatness is scheduled for release on September 29, bringing renewed attention to the personal story behind Brady’s life after football and his highly publicised marriage to Bündchen.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.