Bridget Moynahan, who split from pro player Tom Brady years ago, is finally in a happy place when it comes to love.
Many of us will recall how Moynahan and Brady divorced after two years together, with Moynahan stating shortly thereafter that she was three months pregnant with the couple’s kid, who is now sixteen.
Sadly, Moynahan experienced her first and last pregnancy as a single mother. Fortunately, her story ended happily.
Journey as a single mother
Bridget Moynahan, 52, honestly discussed her unexpected journey as a single mother in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar in 2008, confessing: “I never thought I would raise a child alone,” adding, “and I want something equal to that in my life, as a partner, lover, friend.”
Finding out she was pregnant in the first place was not only unexpected for the actress and former model, but it also provided a hurdle for Moynahan, who claims she believed in marriage before having children.
During the same Harper’s Bazaar interview, Moynahan stated, “I’m a traditional girl, and I believe in marriage, and I always thought that’s the way I’d be doing this. For a moment, it was hard for me to accept that this was the way I was going to have a family.”
Relationship with Tom Brady
Moynahan’s relationship with former NFL star Tom Brady ended “amicably” in early December 2006, according to People, but took an unexpected turn when she found she was three months pregnant shortly after their split.
By then, Brady had moved on with supermodel Gisele Bündchen (who he supposedly met on a blind date the same month he split from Moynahan, according to WSJ Magazine), complicating the matter even further.
Reflecting on the “traumatic” experience, Moynahan admitted that she was forced to go through a pregnancy and have a child in the face of huge media attention, saying, “I’m not sure anyone – and I could be wrong in this – grows up thinking, I want to be a single mom.”
While Moynahan was raising her son, Jack, Brady and Bündchen married in February 2009, according to Vogue France. Only ten months later, they welcomed their first child, Benjamin. They had their second child, Vivian, in December 2012. They divorced in 2022, after 13 years of marriage.
In her biography, Bündchen admitted that the impending birth of Brady and Moynahan’s kid was traumatic for her as well, saying (via Us Weekly): “Two months into our relationship, Tom told me that his ex-girlfriend was pregnant. The very next day, the news was everywhere, and I felt my world got turned upside down.”
Eventually, Moynahan found comfort in her son, John “Jack” Edward Thomas, born in 2007.
Moynahan loves being a mom
Moynahan’s 2019 book, Our Shoes, Our Selves, described her problems during that time, emphasizing how uncomfortable she felt being in the public limelight. “Having a baby should have been the most joyous time of my life, but instead, I felt assaulted,” she wrote.
Despite the difficulties, she embraced motherhood, finding that it fulfilled her more than her modeling and acting jobs did.
Moynahan has voiced her love for motherhood several times, recognizing the transforming impact it has had on her life. “I have become that mother I used to dread. Every time he does something, you think he’s a genius. He’s a genius,” she raved to Harper’s Bazaar.
Meeting Andrew Frankel
Moynahan’s personal life improved once she met Andrew Frankel, 49, through mutual friends. The couple eventually got engaged in April 2015, followed by a covert ceremony at Wolffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack, New York, in October of the same year. The tiny reception toasted their love, and instead of gifts, they requested donations to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.
The actress reflected on the wonderful wedding, expressing gratitude for the attention to detail in her gown and the overall party. Fans also praised Moynahan’s happiness at the moment, recognizing that she had earned it after watching her path from a public split to single motherhood.
Moynahan and Frankel’s blended family includes his three sons from a previous relationship, which provide a caring and nurturing environment for Jack.
Despite the unexpected twists in her journey, Moynahan is grateful for the extended family her kid has, telling More magazine (via Us Weekly): “My son has two loving parents and an extended family, whether it’s cousins or stepmothers or boyfriends. My son is surrounded by love.”
Moynahan’s experience demonstrates her tenacity and acceptance of life’s unpredictable nature. She has consistently shown the strength of a mother willing to love and support her child, which is undoubtedly wonderful.