Tom Brady Admits He Has “Messed Up a Lot” as a Parent, Acknowledges It’s “Tough” to Be His Son

Tom Brady has openly admitted to having “messed up a lot” in his role as a father during a speech at the Fortune Global Forum in New York City on Tuesday. The seven-time Super Bowl champion reflected on the difficulties of parenting, acknowledging that it is “probably the hardest job” and that he, too, has made many mistakes as a parent.

Acknowledging Parenting Mistakes

Tom Brady 47 told the crowd: “Parenting is probably the hardest job we all take on, and we make a lot of mistakes, and I’ve made a lot of mistakes as well as a parent.” He clarified that he is not a “parenting expert” but aims to be “reliable and consistent” for his “three wonderful kids.”

The former NFL star spoke specifically about raising his two teenage sons and admitted that it’s “tough” being their father, saying, “It’s tough in a lot of ways to be the son of Tom Brady.

Tom Brady reflected on his own childhood challenges, recognizing that his children would face their own hurdles: “I had to deal with a lot of challenges as a young kid… my kids are going to face their own challenges… and I’ll be there to support them… and I’ll learn with them along the way,” he emphasized.

The Challenges Brady Faces as a Father

Tom Brady also expressed gratitude toward his parents, who encouraged him during his youth and shaped his approach to parenting. “The blessing my parents gave me,” he recalled, “was when I was a kid with very little opportunity, as a backup quarterback on the freshman team, they never said, ‘Hey, don’t do that. It’s going to be too hard. Let’s do something different. Let’s think of another plan.'”

“They said, ‘You know what? Go for it. Whatever you want to become’… and that’s probably the parenting style I’ve adopted.”

Tom Brady has a 17-year-old son, Jack, with his ex-girlfriend, actress Bridget Moynahan. He also has two children with his ex-wife Gisele Bündchen: Benjamin 14, and Vivian 11.

Meanwhile, Bündchen 44, is reportedly expecting her third child and her first with her current partner, Joaquim Valente.

A source shared that Tom Brady was “shocked” to learn that Gisele and Joaquim were expecting a child together. “Tom Brady knew Gisele and Joaquim’s relationship was serious, but he never thought they would have a child together.”

“That wasn’t on his radar. So when Gisele told him, he was stunned, at least that’s how it seemed.”

However, Bündchen is said to be “very excited to embrace this new chapter openly.”