When Twitterati debated Tom Brady's ex-wife Gisele Bündchen versus Kate Upton's approach to retirement choices

In November 2022, former Houston Astros icon Justin Verlander's wife, Kate Upton was overwhelmed by her husband's stellar feat of winning his second World Series title against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Post-game, when Verlander was spotted giving an interview at Fox Studios with MLB analysts, an excited Kate Upton showed up beaming with pride and happiness.

Next, while she was being interviewed by one of the three MLB analysts, Kevin Burkhardt, HOFer David Ortiz questioned the former supermodel whether she wished for the star pitcher to continue playing in the MLB for one more season.

Immediately, Kate expressed her admiration for watching her husband play on the field, hinting at no sign of retirement.

"This is the most we get to see him. Just to see him do what he loves, just to see him do his craft, he’s such an artist out there. When he’s pitching, it’s really so creative, such an art and we are so honored," said Kate.

In February 2023, Justin Verlander turned 40 and is currently playing with the New York Mets.

Once the video of Kate's unwavering support for Verlander hit Twitter, MLB and NFL fans jumped in to draw comparisons between Kate Upton and Gisele Bündchen, the ex-wife of former football quarterback Tom Brady.

One of the fans quote-tweeted Kate Upton's viral video at the Fox Sports set and wrote:

"Kate Upton is the anti-Gisele."

Another Twitter user took a ruthless dig at Gisele and wrote:

"Tom Brady: “Need me a woman like that.”

In March 2022, Tom Brady made an announcement on social media stating that he had chosen to come back to the NFL, shortly after stepping away from his remarkable career.

Speculation arose among fans suggesting that Brady's ex-wife might have played a role in his retirement from the NFL, as he wanted to prioritize his family life.

However, in a March 2023 interview with Vanity Fair, Gisele Bündchen cleared the air.

When the interviewer asked about her alleged influence on Brady's NFL departure, she promptly explained saying:

“Wow, people really made it about that,” she says. “What’s been said is one piece of a much bigger puzzle. It’s not so black and white.”

Bundchen added:

"Sometimes you grow together; sometimes you grow apart. When I was 26 years old and he was 29 years old, we met, we wanted a family, we wanted things together. As time goes by, we realize that we just wanted different things, and now we have a choice to make. That doesn’t mean you don’t love the person.

"It just means that in order for you to be authentic and truly live the life that you want to live, you have to have somebody who can meet you in the middle, right? It’s a dance. It’s a balance.

“When you love someone, you don’t put them in a jail and say, ‘You have to live this life.’ You set them free to be who they are, and if you want to fly the same direction, then that’s amazing," Bundchen concluded.

Gisele's Vanity Fair interview was published one month after Tom Brady retired from football for good in February 2023.

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All-Star Justin Verlander continues to play in MLB with Kate Upton being his pillar of strength

Tampa Bay Rays v New York Mets

Justin Verlander, despite being 40 years old, is displaying no indications of slowing his pace.

In the off-season, he elected free agency and agreed to an offer with the New York Mets on December 7, 2022. His contract is for two years and comes with a substantial amount of $86.7 million. Additionally, there is a provision for a vesting option in 2025, where Verlander has the potential to earn $35 million.

Verlander's wife, Kate Upton was recently spotted at Citi Field for her husband's first start in Queens as a Met.

During the first day of this season, the Mets revealed that they had placed Justin on the IL for 15 days due to a strain.

On May 4, 2023, the Mets finally brought Verlander back into action by activating him from the injured list.