Gisele Bündchen’s Victoria’s Secret Absence Reportedly Explained After Cryptic Tease

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Gisele Bündchen was reportedly supposed to make a major entrance at the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, until a broken foot brought those plans to a halt. The supermodel had been preparing to open the October 18 event. Instead, Bella Hadid took the opening spot, while Bündchen appeared in prerecorded videos that left fans wondering what might come next. Now, the reported reason behind her runway absence suggests her involvement was originally meant to be much bigger.

Gisele Bündchen Reportedly Broke Her Foot Before The Show

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According to Us Weekly, Bündchen’s planned appearance fell through because of an injury. “Gisele was supposed to open the show, but she broke her foot,” a source told the outlet.

The insider said the comeback “had been planned for months, so they pivoted to Bella Hadid opening the show last minute.” That would have made the change a significant adjustment after months of preparation. The report did not provide further details about how Bündchen injured her foot or her recovery timeline.

For viewers, however, the finished production still included a familiar face from the brand’s past, even if she wasn’t walking its runway.

Her Appearance Would Have Ended A Two-Decade Runway Absence From The Brand

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Bündchen’s planned return carried plenty of history. She made her Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show debut in 1999 and walked in seven shows before her final appearance as an Angel in 2006. She left the brand when her contract ended in 2007.

An appearance at this year’s event would therefore have marked 20 years since her last Victoria’s Secret runway walk. Instead, the 46-year-old participated through video segments that bookended the show, giving her a prominent presence without requiring her to take the catwalk.

• News of Tom Brady’s dating life seemingly sparked a fallout between Victoria’s Secret models amid claims of “no girl code.”
• Fans declared “he has a type” as Tom Brady’s new girlfriend renewed attention to his history of dating Victoria’s Secret models.
• New photos highlighted Tom Brady’s daughter’s resemblance to her mother, while fans praised the NFL star’s “chin genetics.”
• Gisele Bündchen’s Father’s Day post once again left out Tom Brady.

Gisele Still Helped Kick Off The Fashion Show

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Bündchen’s first prerecorded appearance leaned into Victoria’s Secret’s signature look. Wearing pink lace lingerie and a pink-and-white striped robe, she reclined on a couch in what appeared to be a beachside villa as the camera moved across the scene. “Are you ready for the show?” she asked.

Smiling, Bündchen lifted her arms and laughed before the broadcast moved to the live event at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles.

A Second Video Teased More To Come

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Bündchen returned virtually at the end of the event, this time setting down a bowl of popcorn as though she had been watching along. “Wasn’t that amazing?” she asked.

Then came a tease that suggested her work with Victoria’s Secret could extend beyond the evening. “You’re going to be seeing more of me real soon.” She followed the message with a wink and a blown kiss.

The brand added to the anticipation when its official Instagram account reposted the clip with the caption, “See you soon, Bombshell.”

The Victoria’s Secret Reunion Comes Amid Tom Brady Dating Headlines

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Bündchen’s involvement with the brand has also coincided with attention surrounding her former husband, Tom Brady, and another familiar Victoria’s Secret name. Us Weekly reported on October 24 that Brady and Candice Swanepoel had been dating “for a while.”

Bündchen and Brady divorced in 2022 after 13 years of marriage. They share son Benjamin, 16, and daughter Vivian, 13. She also shares a 20-month-old son with husband Joaquim Valente.

Joan Smalls Reportedly Felt Blindsided By The Romance

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A separate source told Us Weekly that Smalls and Brady had their own romantic history before his reported relationship with Swanepoel. “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,” the insider claimed.

The source also described the models’ longstanding friendship. “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.”

According to that insider, Smalls was “completely blindsided by the whole thing and felt really betrayed,” viewing it as the “ultimate breaking of girl code.”