Tom Brady is well aware of his flaws, and he called himself out while speaking about parenting during a panel at the 2024 Fortune Global Forum in New York City. After being asked how he motivates his kids, who might be intimidated by the “long shadow” cast by his great success, the 47-year-old football legend got candid.
“All of the parents of the room know that being a parent is probably the hardest job all of us have,” the ex-quarterback said. He went on to explain that every parent can “screw up,” and that he’s no exception. “I’ve screwed up a lot as a parent,” he said. “I don’t want to pretend that I’m some expert in parenting, because I’m certainly not,” the father of three said, but explained that he focuses on being “consistent” for his kids. (Brady shares 17-year-old son, Jack, with ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan, and he and ex-wife Gisele Bündchen share 14-year-old Benjamin and 11-year-old Vivian.)
The Superbowl champ specifically mentioned that his middle son is dealing with unique challenges because of his fame. “To be a boy, it sucks to be Tom Brady’s son, in so many ways,” he said. “So I try to empathize that with them.” Brady’s main goal in parenting, he said, is to “be there to support them, you know? A lot like my parents were.”
