Tom Brady Admits He’s ‘Screwed Up a Lot’ as a Parent
During an appearance at the Fortune Global Forum in New York City on Tuesday, Tom Brady admitted that he’s “screwed up a lot as a parent.” Brady is the father to three children: John “Jack” Edward Thomas, 17, whom he shares with ex Bridget Moynahan, as well as Benjamin Rein, 14, and Vivian Lake, 11, whom Brady shares with ex-wife Gisele Bündchen.
"Being a parent is probably the hardest job all of us have," Brady said on Tuesday. "And we screw up a lot and I've screwed up a lot as a parent," he reflected. "So, I don’t want to seem like I’m some expert in parenting, because I’m certainly not that. I have three amazing kids. I try to be dependable and consistent for them.”
Brady continued: “Honestly, whatever our kids choose to do…in life, we have to support.” He explained that his parenting approach is inspired largely by that of his own parents. “The blessing my parents gave me, when I was that long shot as a kid who was a back-up quarterback on a freshman team, they never said, ‘Don’t do that. It’s too hard. Let’s do something different. Let’s think about another backup plan,’” Brady explained. “They kind of said, ‘Go for it. Whatever you want to be, go for it.’ And that’s probably my parenting style.”
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Later in the interview, Brady addressed Jack’s desire to be an NBA player despite not having a particularly high vertical leap. “Unfortunately he jumps as high as I do,” Brady said. “But I tell him, ‘Dude, you’re gonna be a stud.’ I said, ‘Wait till you hit your growth spurt, you’re gonna be jumping higher, you’re gonna be dunking.’ And whether he does or not, who cares? But I want him to know that his dad’s got his back.”
"Being a parent is probably the hardest job all of us have. I've screwed up a lot as a parent," @TomBrady says in a candid discussion at #FortuneGlobalForum.
— FORTUNE (@FortuneMagazine) November 12, 2024
Brady emphasized supporting his children no matter what they want to pursue in life. https://t.co/ZNfwCxb2IG pic.twitter.com/qUVAZOuVYE