A planned Gisele Bündchen runway comeback became a screen appearance after a reported foot injury reshaped the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. She was expected to open the October 18 event, according to a source cited by Us Weekly. Bella Hadid took the opening walk instead, while Bündchen appeared in prerecorded segments at the start and end of the broadcast.
A last-minute change to the show’s opening
“Gisele was supposed to open the show, but she broke her foot,” the source told Us Weekly. The insider said the return “had been planned for months,” leaving organizers to switch the opening to Hadid at short notice.
The report didn’t say how Bündchen was injured or give a recovery estimate. The change meant the show lost a planned live reunion with one of Victoria’s Secret’s best-known former Angels, though the broadcast still gave her a visible role.
A return two decades in the making
Bündchen debuted at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 1999 and walked seven shows before her final appearance as an Angel in 2006. Her contract ended the following year. A runway walk in 2026 would have marked 20 years since she last appeared on the brand’s catwalk.
Instead, the 46-year-old bookended the show with video. The opening clip placed her in pink lace lingerie and a pink-and-white striped robe, reclining on a couch in what appeared to be a beachside villa. “Are you ready for the show?” she asked before the broadcast cut to the live event at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles.
- News of Tom Brady’s dating life seemingly sparked a fallout between Victoria’s Secret models amid claims of “no girl code.”
- Fans declared “he has a type” as Tom Brady’s new girlfriend renewed attention to his history of dating Victoria’s Secret models.
- New photos highlighted Tom Brady’s daughter’s resemblance to her mother, while fans praised the NFL star’s “chin genetics.”
- Gisele Bündchen’s Father’s Day post once again left out Tom Brady.
Her closing message hinted at another appearance
At the end of the show, Bündchen appeared again with a bowl of popcorn, as if she had watched the broadcast alongside viewers. “Wasn’t that amazing?” she said, then added: “You’re going to be seeing more of me real soon.” A wink and a blown kiss closed the clip.
Victoria’s Secret amplified the tease by reposting the clip on its official Instagram account with the caption, “See you soon, Bombshell.” Neither the remark nor the post specified what Bündchen might do next, but together they left the door open for a future appearance.
The reunion unfolded amid reports about Tom Brady
The show also arrived amid fresh coverage of Bündchen’s former husband. Us Weekly reported on October 24 that Brady and Victoria’s Secret model Candice Swanepoel had been dating “for a while.” Bündchen and Brady divorced in 2022 after 13 years of marriage. They share son Benjamin, 16, and daughter Vivian, 13; Bündchen also has a 20-month-old son with her husband, Joaquim Valente.
Joan Smalls was reportedly caught off guard
A separate Us Weekly source claimed Smalls and Brady had an on-and-off relationship for about a year between 2023 and 2024. “It was never anything super serious,” the insider said, adding that they stayed in touch afterward.
The same source described Smalls and Swanepoel as longtime close friends who came up together in modeling and through Victoria’s Secret. Smalls was reportedly “completely blindsided” by Brady and Swanepoel’s relationship and felt betrayed. The claims remain attributed to the unnamed source; the report offered no comment from the people involved.
For the fashion show, the clearest takeaway is the gap between the planned reunion and the one viewers got: Bündchen’s live runway return was postponed by injury, while her closing tease kept the possibility of another Victoria’s Secret appearance in view.
