Tom Brady sparks heated model war between Candice Swanepoel and Joan Smalls – friends now forced to choose sides

Joan Smalls is not the tallest person.

We’re told she’s so furious that fellow Victoria’s Secret Angel and former best friend Candice Swanepoel hooked up with her former lover Tom Brady that she’s issuing an ultimatum to their mutual friends: You’re either friends with her or friends with me.

The women have been “inseparable” for 15 years, but they are apparently discovering that sharing the track is one thing – sharing a football player is another.

Candice Swanepoel, pictured here at the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, is reportedly dating Tom Brady. Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret
Swanepoel and Brady’s relationship caused a rift between the model and Joan Smalls, pictured here at the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, who was also reportedly romantically involved with the football player. Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret

According to our source, when Smalls was dating the Patriots, Swanepoel gave him a hard time, repeatedly encouraging him to dump him.

But when the opportunity presented itself for the beautiful blonde to make her own strategy to sack the quarterback, she took it.

Furious, Smalls appeared to take several public jabs at Swanepoel, who shares two sons with her ex-fiancé, Brazilian model Hermann Nicoli.

Swanepoel and Smalls have been friends for 15 years and have been described as “inseparable”. Getty Images for amfAR

Smalls, 38, commented on a post about their drama: “Two words: ‘SUMMER HOUSE!’ That will explain everything.

(The most recent season of the Bravo reality show showed Amanda Batula and Ciara Miller’s friendship implode after the former began secretly dating the latter’s ex, West Wilson.)

In other screenshots obtained by DeuxMoi, Smalls called Swanepoel, also 38, a “traitor” when a fan asked if they weren’t friends.

Tom Brady, the 49-year-old former New England Patriots quarterback, has reportedly been seeing each other for months. Getty Images

Joan reportedly replied: “I am not friends with traitors. »

In another now-deleted post, Smalls said there “is no such thing as girl code.”

“And the lack of respect and carelessness in the way they treat you is unimaginable. There is no going back. Some people lack humility and moral sense,” she added.

“And the way they gaslight, lie and downplay your feelings is the worst slap in the face after 15 years or a friendship. No sorry said or written. Onward and upward!!!”

Models Candice Swanepoel and Joan Smalls (both seen above at the amfAR gala in Cannes in 2022) might no longer be friends. Getty Images for amfAR Getty Images for amfAR

And now she’s telling her friends to choose sides.

“Candice has always been exceptionally private about her personal life, always focusing on raising her children,” said Amanda Ruisi, a representative for Swanepoel, “She and Joan share a long-standing history and friendship that Candice will always respect.”

Celebrity gossip account DeuxMoi previously reported that Smalls and Brady dated on and off for about a year. A source tells Page Six that Smalls and Brady were never really serious.

Our sources say the seven-time Super Bowl champion – who has been divorced from model Gisele Bündchen since October 2022 – and Swanepoel have been together “for months.”

The source says the couple has been together since May after being introduced by mutual friends and even Brady’s ex-wife is happy for the new couple.

The rift between the models has become more intense, with a source telling us that Smalls is issuing ultimatums to their mutual friends and forcing them to choose sides. Getty Images
Swanepoel allegedly gave Smalls a hard time when she was dating Brady, but she then went ahead and dated him herself, according to a source. Getty Images for Balmain Beauté
Tom Brady is the ex-husband of another model, Gisele Bündchen, with whom he shares two children. The former couple is pictured here. Gisèle/Instagram
We hear Smalls has scrubbed her Instagram account of photos with her former model friend. FilmMagic

“It’s so crazy and so complicated,” our source said.

Since he and Bündchen, 46, split, Brady — who also shares son Jack, 19, with ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan — has been linked to Kim Kardashian, Brooks Nader, Irina Shayk, Sofía Vergara, Alix Earle and Yael Cohen, although he has never publicly addressed any of those flings.

Page Six reached out to representatives for Smalls and Brady, but did not receive a response.

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