It's baffling why it took Tom Brady by surprise that his divorce from Gisele Bündchen, his relationship with Jiu-Jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente and other aspects of his private life were the target of numerous barbs during his three-hour Netflix roast.
The only joke the seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback took exception to during “The Roast of Tom Brady” at the Kia Forum on May 5 was a reference by comedian Jeff Ross to New England Patriots owner Roberts Kraft, being arrested in 2019 on charges. of soliciting sex from a prostitute at a Florida spa.
But upon reflection, Brady says he regrets how the jokes affected his three children. He has a 16-year-old son with actress Bridget Monynahan and a 14-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter with Bündchen, a Brazilian supermodel to whom he was married for 13 years before separating in 2022.
“I loved the jokes about me, I thought they were so funny,” Brady said Tuesday on “The Pivot” podcast. “I didn't like the way it affected my children. …There's the bittersweet aspect of when you do something you think is one way, and suddenly you realize I wouldn't do that again because of the way it affected the people I care about most in the world. .”
He said he accepted the roast because he is an acquaintance of Ross, nicknamed “The General RoastMaster,” and was looking forward to the reunion of former teammates, coaches, friends and celebrities. Many of the jokes were profane and sexual in nature.
“You don't always see the whole picture,” Brady said. “It's a good lesson as a parent. …I'm going to be a better father going through this. At the same time, I'm happy that everyone had a good time. If we don't laugh at things, we cry.”
On the podcast, Brady talked about why he looked up to his father, Tom Sr., as a kid.
“My parents instilled a family value in us and I just remember why my dad was my hero,” he said. “He would come home from work every afternoon and say, 'Let's go to the baseball field and I'll hit ground balls for you.' He never came home and said, “I'm too tired.”
“The only advice I can give parents is that whatever is most important to their children, that should be their priority.”
And, Brady discovered, that would include avoiding repeated jokes about Bündchen, who a source told People magazine is “deeply disappointed by the disrespectful portrayal of her family on television.” [the] roast.”
Those called to criticize Brady, from host Kevin Hart to comedians Nikki Glaser, Will Ferrell and Ross, to former coach Bill Belichick and his former teammates Rob Gronkowski, Randy Moss and Drew Bledsoe, agreed in advance that the Brady's children were off limits.
But according to Brady, the kids were offended anyway.
“When we're growing up, we want to fit in, be part of the group,” Brady said on the podcast. “And I did it. …Certainly, the group I most want to be a part of is my children. We are. What are my responsibilities and what are my values? And do my actions reflect what my priorities and values are?
“I wouldn't do that again.”
