Gisele Bündchen, once hailed as a progressive voice in fashion and wellness, is facing intense online backlash after being photographed vacationing in Costa Rica with Ivanka Trump.
The Brazilian supermodel and political figure was accompanied by model Karlie Kloss, who is married to Joshua Kushner, making her Trump’s sister-in-law through her husband Jared Kushner.
While the trip may have seemed like an innocuous gathering of the elite, many netizens weren’t having it and took to social media to express their disapproval of the supermodel.
“Oh, Gisele, I’m so disappointed in you,” one user said. “How I misjudged her. I thought she was one of the good ones.”
Fans turned against supermodel Gisele Bündchen after photos of her vacationing in Costa Rica with Ivanka Trump went viral
Segments of social media quickly turned on Bündchen for appearing alongside Trump, whose proximity to her father’s administration continues to generate criticism.
“Gisele, wow, I didn’t know you support women not having rights. Unfollowed and canceled,” read another critical comment.
Others implied that her past relationship with Tom Brady—whom she divorced from in October 2022—might have influenced her. “Tom’s ultra-right-wing political views definitely rubbed off on Gisele,” one user said.
Ivanka celebrated their gathering by poetically describing it as an opportunity to reconnect with “the Earth, with faith, and with one another.” She shared pictures of waterfalls and vegetation captioned with, “Time slowed.”
But for critics, the idyllic language fell flat. “They’re celebrating their big fat tax cuts for the wealthy,” one person wrote under a reposted image of Ivanka and Bündchen—known at one point as the 16th-richest woman in the entertainment industry.
“Hopefully, they both got eaten by a shark,” another comment read. “Don’t worry. Sharks don’t eat plastic,” another replied.
Bündchen has a long history of charity work, which, for some netizens, makes her association with Ivanka even weirder
Aside from her successful modeling career, status as a wealthy female celebrity, and high-profile marriage to Tom Brady, Bündchen is also known as an advocate for various charitable causes, focusing on women’s rights, wildlife conservation, and climate change.
For instance, she donated $150,000 to Brazil’s Zero Hunger program, participated in fundraising campaigns to make AIDS treatment accessible in Africa, and donated $1.5 million to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts in Haiti.
In 2007, the model founded the Luz Foundation, which seeks to empower girls through the sponsorship of various self-esteem-building programs. More recently, she sponsored the Lotus House, a shelter focused on helping homeless women, youth, and children improve their lives.
Bündchen’s charity work has earned her both praise and criticism. Critics argue that her donations and foundations have more to do with improving her image rather than generating a real impact.
In 2022, the model’s divorce from Tom Brady put the future of the Luz Foundation in danger, as the couple divided an estimated $770 million in assets. The incident prompted a review of the nonprofit’s donations, which, according to a report by the New York Post, went mainly toward yoga and meditation groups.
The model is connected to Ivanka through her current partner, Joaquim Valente, as well as their mutual acquaintance, Karlie Kloss
While some netizens were shocked to see Bündchen hanging out with Ivanka, their mutual connection to Karlie Kloss explains it.
Bündchen and Kloss are both signed to IMG Models and represented by the same manager. Trump’s connection to Kloss, on the other hand, is family-based, as she is married to Jared Kushner, whose brother Joshua is married to Kloss.
The elite are also connected through Bündchen’s current partner—and father of her newborn son—martial arts instructor Joaquim Valente, who trains Ivanka and her children in North Miami Beach.
The instructor has gone as far as to feature Ivanka in training videos, praising her for going on a “meaningful journey” alongside him.
While some of Bündchen’s fans are grappling with her new social circle, others chalked the reaction up to envy.
“Lots of jealous women in the comments,” one user said, arguing online with those who saw the gathering as a betrayal of the values they thought the model upheld.
“Not surprised.” While some reacted with shock, others viewed the gathering as typical behavior among the wealthy
