Joaquim Valente; Gisele Bündchen.Photo: VALENTE BROTHERS jiujitsu/Instagram; Michael Loccisano/Getty
Gisele BündchenandJoaquim Valentehave been dating since June, PEOPLE can confirm.
“They have been dating since June. They’re taking it slow. They started out as great friends first. She’s very private about this and wanted to keep it quiet while they got to know each other,” a source tells PEOPLE.
Reps for Bündchen, 43, and Valente could not be reached for comment.
A second source confirmed that Bündchen and her family’s jiu-jitsu instructor’s feelings toward each other developed over time after initially having a platonic relationship.
“They started out as friends,” the second source tells PEOPLE. “He was a huge comfort for Gisele while she went through her divorce. Their friendship turned romantic after the divorce.”
Joaquim Valente; Gisele Bündchen.Valente Brothers/Instagram; Tristar Media/Getty
The insider adds, “Joaquim is a great guy. He is down to earth, kind and inspiring. Gisele was hesitant about dating after the divorce. It’s been very natural for her to date Joaquim.”
According to the exclusive source, she “loves that he is Brazilian” like her.
“They come from similar backgrounds. They both left Brazil very young. They have both created amazing lives for themselves in the U.S. They both love Miami, but also enjoy traveling. They both enjoy healthy living. Gisele’s in a great space. She is happy and very much enjoying life. Joaquim is perfect for her,” the insider tells PEOPLE.
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In January 2023, a separate insider told PEOPLE that Bündchen and Valente had been “spending a lot of time” with each other and evenvacationed together in Costa Ricaon numerous occasions, but had not gone further than a friendship at that point.
She wasfirst seen with the jiu-jitsu proin Costa Rica in November 2022.
Bündchen and her ex-husband, former NFL starTom Brady,filed for divorceon Oct. 28, 2022, after 13 years of marriage.
Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen, 2019.Kevin Mazur/MG19/Getty
Kevin Mazur/MG19/Getty
The former coupleshare two children together— son Benjamin Rein, 14, and daughter Vivian Lake, 11. Brady, 46, also has son Jack, 16, from a previous relationship.
In July, afterrumors surfaced that a summer romance had been brewingbetween the retired NFL quarterback and modelIrina Shayk, Bündchen wished her ex well.
At the time,a source told PEOPLEthat his ex-wife was “on holiday in Brazil at the moment and is living her life, but she’s said in the past that she just wants him to be happy.”
Gisele Bündchen.Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Ina wide-ranging exclusive interviewpublished in September, Bündchen told PEOPLE that she was prioritizing herself.
source: people.com
