- Blue Bloods star Bridget Moynahan shares one son with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
- The actress recently opened up about the difficulties of raising a child as a single mother.
- She also revealed how her, Tom, and their partners work together as a blended family.
Co-parenting, as many parents will attest, can be difficult, stressful, and even uncomfortable. When you're a celebrity like Blue Bloods star Bridget Moynahan and are raising a child in the spotlight, it gets even more difficult.
"I would have cars following me, and men hiding in the bushes outside my house," she told People about the unwanted attention she received after giving birth to son Jack, now 11, whom she shares with Tom Brady. "As a new mother, you want to just protect your child. That kind of attention felt like a threat."
Although Bridget's blended family includes many famous faces, the actress has kept her personal life, well, personal. Here's a look into how the 47-year-old has handled the ups and down of parenting in the public eye for more than a decade.
How Bridget Moynahan and Tom Brady Got Together
Bridget and Tom were together for three years before splitting in late 2006. A rep for Bridget told People in December of that year: "(They) amicably ended their three-year relationship several weeks ago. We ask for your respect and consideration of their privacy. No further comments will be made."
Around this time, Bridget discovered she was pregnant, and the information became public in February 2007. By then, the New England Patriots quarterback had began dating Gisele Bündchen. The surprising news (unsurprisingly) was a tough pill for the supermodel to swallow.
"Two months into our relationship, Tom told me that his ex-girlfriend was pregnant. The very next day the news was everywhere, and I felt my world had been turned upside down," she wrote in her memoir, Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life, according to the New York Post.
Tom Brady and Bridget Moynahan Welcome Son, Jack
In August 2007, Bridget gave birth to John Edward Thomas Moynahan, who goes by Jack. A baby is always a blessing, but the circumstances of the situation were challenging for the new mom.
"I'm not sure anyone—and I could be wrong in this—grows up thinking, 'I want to be a single mom,'" she revealed in a July 2008 issue of Harper's Bazaar. "When you're suddenly pregnant and no one is standing by your side, even if you're in your 30s, it's a hard conversation. I'm a traditional girl, and I believe in marriage, and I just always thought that's the way I'd be doing this. For a moment, it was hard for me to accept that this was the way I was going to have a family."
How They Make Their Blended Family Work
Bridget and Tom have moved on romantically—Bridget married her husband, Andrew Frankel, in 2015, and Tom wed Giselle in 2009. Tom and Gisele now have two children together, Vivian Lake Brady, 6, and Benjamin Brady, 9. Through all the changes, one thing has always remained the same: Family comes first.
"Tom and I made a decision to raise a child together and we both found partners that not only supported us in raising that child, but also loved our child as if he was their own," Bridget told People in 2019. "I don't think you can ask for more than that. My son is surrounded by love."
Catch Up on 'Blue Bloods'
Jennifer Aldrich was the editorial assistant for CountryLiving.com.
