Candice Swanepoel Spotted With Ring Amid Tom Brady Rumors

WHO:

Yahoo - Victoria’s Secret model Candice Swanepoel was photographed wearing a gold ring; reports linked her romantically to Tom Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion and former NFL quarterback.

Yahoo - Joan Smalls, a fellow model and longtime friend of Swanepoel, was reportedly upset by Swanepoel’s rumored relationship with Brady.

Yahoo - Brady’s former wife, Gisele Bündchen, reportedly was not bothered by the dating claims. Brady and Bündchen share son Benjamin, 16, and daughter Vivian, 13; Brady also shares son Jack, 19, with Bridget Moynahan.

Yahoo - Swanepoel has sons Anacan, 10, and Ariel, eight, with model Hermann Nicoli. Swanepoel and Nicoli became engaged in 2015 and split in 2018.

TMZ - Candice Swanepoel and Tom Brady were the subjects of romance rumors; TMZ described Brady as a seven-time Super Bowl champion.

NY Post - Swanepoel and Smalls were identified as Victoria’s Secret models.

WHAT:

Yahoo - Swanepoel was seen wearing a thick, ornate gold band on her left ring finger. Neither she nor Brady had publicly confirmed an engagement.

Yahoo - PEOPLE quoted an insider saying, “They've been dating for a while now,” and that they “both live in Miami” and were “spending a lot of time together.” Another source said Swanepoel was “very secretive and selective” about whom she told and that they took steps to avoid being spotted.

Yahoo - Us Weekly reported that Smalls and Brady had allegedly seen each other on and off for about a year between 2023 and 2024, hooked up, and remained in touch; a source said it was “never anything super serious.”

Yahoo - A source described Smalls as “completely blindsided” and said she “felt really betrayed,” characterizing the reported romance as “the ultimate breaking of girl code.”

Yahoo - Reports said the models no longer followed each other on Instagram. A purported, later-deleted comment attributed to Smalls said, “I'm not friends with backstabbers.” Another reported deleted comment referred to “15 years of friendship” and said, “Onwards and upwards!”

Yahoo - Swanepoel’s representative told E! News: “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.”

Yahoo - Bündchen and Brady divorced in 2022. Yahoo reported that Bündchen married Joaquim Valente and welcomed their son; the article gave no exact dates for those events.

TMZ - Swanepoel was spotted wearing a gold ring “on THAT finger”; TMZ said it had photos and described this as her first sighting since romance rumors with Brady began circulating.

NY Post - The paper said the rumored romance had “seemingly ended” Swanepoel’s friendship with Smalls.

WHERE:

Yahoo - Swanepoel was photographed in Surfside, Florida, a coastal community near Miami Beach. Brady and Swanepoel reportedly both live in the Miami area.

Yahoo - Swanepoel and Smalls appeared at a Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Los Angeles.

WHY:

Yahoo - Reports attributed tension between Swanepoel and Smalls to Smalls’s alleged prior romantic involvement with Brady and her reported reaction to Swanepoel’s relationship with him.

HOW:

Yahoo - Sources said Swanepoel and Brady kept their reported relationship private and went to great lengths to avoid being seen together.

(UPDATED November 1, 2026 20:59 UTC)

Candice Swanepoel was photographed wearing a gold ring amid rumors she’s dating Tom Brady. Reports say her longtime friend Joan Smalls felt betrayed, after previously seeing Brady. Neither Swanepoel nor Brady has confirmed an engagement, and her representative emphasized privacy.