Giselle and Patricia were born within five minutes of each other. (Instagram)
Patricia Bündchen found herself, rather, unexpectedly in the headlines on Tuesday afternoon.
The sister of supermodel Giselle Bündchen was the subject of comments made by Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy during a press conference that had plenty of podium miscues. Hardy, who had a 10-game suspension reduced to four games for a domestic violence incident last year involving his ex-girlfriend in 2014, returns to the field for the first time in a Cowboys matchup against the New England Patriots.
Hardy was asked about taking on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and the defender opted to discuss, instead of the gameplay, Brady’s wife, Gisele, and sister-in-law, Patricia. Of course, Gisele Bündchen is well-known; a world-famous super model. But who exactly is Patricia?
Here’s what you need to know about the Brazil native and what exactly Hardy had to say about her:
1. Dallas Cowboys Defender Greg Hardy Said He Hoped Bündchen Came to a Game
2 days back from suspension for domestic violence involving guns, Greg Hardy says he’ll come out guns blazing and gibes at 2 women. Got it.
Somehow Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy, returning from a four-game suspension, managed to say nearly everything wrong in his press conference on October 7. Hardy, who has faced domestic violence charges over the last year and a half that kept him away from the gridiron, did not hesitate from making headlines or comments about the family of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady – that includes Brady’s sister-in-law Patricia Bündchen.
Hardy and the Cowboys will square off against Tom Brady in the week five matchup and when asked about the reigning Super Bowl champs, the defender didn’t mince words:
Greg Hardy: “I love seeing Tom Brady. You seen his wife? I hope she comes to the game. I hope her sister comes to the game…”
Huh. The comment immediately made social media waves and quickly made fans question Hardy’s decision at the podium. The former Carolina Panthers standout, who signed with Dallas in the offseason, has missed the last 19 NFL.
2. Patricia Bündchen Is Gisele’s Twin Sister
The Bundchen sisters grew up in Brazil in the 1980’s and even started modeling together. (Instagram)
It’s a little known fact but supermodel Gisele Bündchen is actually a twin, a fraternal twin to be more specific. Patricia is, technically, the younger sister, born five minutes after Gisele.
The twins grew up in Três de Maio, Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, and are sixth-generation Brazilians. The Bündchen family was much bigger than just twins, though, in fact, there are six sisters in all; Raquel, Graziela, Gabriela, Rafaela, Gisele and Patricia.
3. She Also Worked Briefly as a Model With Her Sister
The Bunchden sisters did just about everything together when they were younger – even joining a modeling course. (Instagram)
In 1993, at the age of 13, both Bündchen sisters joined a modeling course at the insistence of their parents, Vânia Nonnenmacher, a bank clerk pensioner, and Valdir Bündchen, a university teacher and writer. The course was run by Dilson Stein and was run for teenagers who wanted to be a model.
The twins were also joined by their sister Gabriela in the course but only Gisele managed to attract the attention of any modeling agencies. After just a year of the course, Gisele was discovered by Elite modeling agency and was subsequently selected for a national contest, Elite Look of the Year. Gisele moved to São Paulo to jumpstart her modeling career when she was just 14 and, in 1996, had her first big break at New York Fashion Week.
Meanwhile, Patricia’s catwalk career was over before it had really began.
4. Patricia Now Works as Gisele’s Spokeswoman & Manager
After turning away from her own modeling career, Patricia still found a way to be connected to fashion, working as her twin sister’s spokeswoman and manager. Last April it was Patricia, not Gisele, who released the official statement after the supermodel decided to retire from the runway:
“Gisele will focus on special projects and also spending more time on her number one priority: her family,” Patricia wrote.
The fraternal twins have joined forces since Gisele’s retirement to focus on her own lingerie company, Gisele Bunchden Intimates, which she first founded in 2011. Patricia has also helped Gisele retool her career with a shift towards print campaigns instead of runway walks. Gisele served as the face of Staurt Weitzman’s fall 2015 campaign.
5. She Has Been Married Since 2010
Although Patricia may have given up her modeling career, who can resist the chance to get glam every now and then? (Instagram)
The Bündchen family came together in Brazil in 2010 when Patricia tied the knot that May in th ecoastal town of Porto Allegre. The event marked the first time Patricia’s nephew, Ben Brady, made a trip to Brazil and the first time the then-infant was introduced to his South American family.
According to Gisele, the family has made a point of making sure their culture is present in Ben’s life as well. In fact, they focus on speaking Portuguese when they’re around him. Gisele told Brazil’s Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper:
I only talk in Portuguese when I’m with him. I think he must get used to the language and learn it; is important to be bilingual. He’s not just Brady, he’s a Bundchen too.