Candice Swanepoel has broken her silence through a representative amid claims of a rift with fellow model Joan Smalls over Tom Brady.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, 28 October, Swanepoel's rep said the South African model has always been "exceptionally private" about her personal life, with her focus on raising her children. The statement added that she and Smalls share a long history and a friendship that Swanepoel "will always respect".
The carefully worded response comes days after reports emerged that Swanepoel, 38, is dating the retired NFL quarterback, 49. Smalls, also 38, is said to have been seeing Brady on and off between 2023 and 2024, although neither she nor Brady ever went public with the alleged romance.
How the Joan Smalls Feud Began
Speculation about a falling-out between the two models began after they both walked in the 2026 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Los Angeles on 18 October but did not share any pictures together from the event.
It intensified after a fan asked Smalls under an Instagram post whether the pair were still friends. Smalls allegedly replied that she was not friends with "backstabbers". In a separate comment, she is said to have written that some people have no "girl code". Smalls has not publicly explained the remarks, and at least one comment has reportedly since been deleted.
Joan Smalls calling Candice Swanepoel a backstabber?? pic.twitter.com/kmDt0mSI9a
— beyza misses chandler (@beyzanurapaydin) October 22, 2026
According to a source quoted in one report, Smalls felt blindsided and betrayed when she learned of Swanepoel's reported romance with Brady, having confided in her about the relationship. The insider claimed the issue was less about Brady and more about the friendship. Neither model has publicly addressed those claims.
A separate report offered a different version of events. According to that account, Swanepoel had cautioned Smalls to be careful while she was seeing Brady, reportedly out of respect for his ex-wife, before going on to date him herself after the pair parted ways. That version has not been independently confirmed either.
Smalls is also said to have left a cryptic comment under a post about the alleged rift, seemingly comparing the situation to a recent friendship fallout on the reality series Summer House.
Tom Brady and Candice Swanepoel Keep Quiet on Romance
Reports that Brady and Swanepoel were an item first surfaced on Saturday, 24 October, with insiders claiming the pair had been quietly seeing each other for months. One report suggested the romance began in June, although that timeline has not been independently confirmed.
Tom Brady dating supermodel Candice Swanepoel: report https://t.co/PZAZTHlHu9 pic.twitter.com/Wy5vBe63Kp
— New York Post (@nypost) October 25, 2026
Brady was married to Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen from 2009 to 2022. The former couple share son Benjamin, 16, and daughter Vivian, 13, while Brady is also father to son Jack, 19, from his relationship with actor Bridget Moynahan.
Bündchen, who made a surprise appearance in pre-recorded clips during this year's Victoria's Secret show, is said to be unbothered by her former husband's reported new romance. Brady himself suggested earlier this year that dating was not high on his list of priorities. "I don't have much time for a personal life or much time for myself, but I love working and I love my kids," he said in January.
Swanepoel shares two sons, Anacã, 10, and Ariel, 8, with her former fiancé, Brazilian model Hermann Nicoli. The pair, who got engaged in 2015, split in 2018 after more than a decade together.
For now, Swanepoel's camp appears keen to cool the drama rather than fuel it. Her statement neither confirmed nor denied the relationship with Brady and made no reference to Smalls' alleged comments. Representatives for Brady and Smalls have not publicly commented.
