Gisele Bündchen doesn't like the term 'stepmom' and prefers being called 'bonus mom'

• Supermodel Gisele Bündchen opened up about her role as a stepmom to husband Tom Brady's son Jack in an Instagram story Q and A session last Thursday.
• When asked by a fan how it feels to be a stepmother, Bündchen said that she doesn't like the term. "I use the [words] 'bonus mom' because I feel like it's a blessing in my life."
• Like Bündchen, celebrity moms Gabrielle Union and Jada Pinkett Smith have also talked about their close bonds with their stepchildren.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Supermodel Gisele Bündchen is putting the "wicked stepmother" trope to rest.

In an Instagram Q and A last Thursday, Bündchen opened up about the joys of being a stepmom to her husband Tom Brady's 12-year-old son, Jack, who he had with actress Bridget Moynahan.

When asked by a fan what it feels like to be a stepmom, Bündchen said she loves everything about it, except the official term. 

"I don't like the word 'stepmom,'" Bündchen said. "I use the [words] 'bonus mom' because I feel like it's a blessing in my life. I feel so lucky that I got to have an extra, wonderful little angel in my life."

The supermodel has an incredibly positive attitude considering that it "wasn't the ideal situation for anyone" when Jack was born, Bündchen told People in 2018. At that time, Brady and Moynahan had broken up and the NFL star and Bundchen were dating. 

Gisele Bündchen said she loved her husband Tom Brady's son, Jack, right away

From the first moment, Bündchen said she immediately felt connected to Jack. 

"He opened my heart in ways I didn't even know my heart could expand," she told People. "I fell in love with him."

Bündchen married Brady in 2009, and the couple have two other children together — Benjamin, 10, and Vivian,  7.

Bündchen is one of a number of celebrity moms who have shared what it's like to have a blended family. 

Gabrielle Union, for example, has spoken about having a strong relationship with her husband Dwyane Wade's stepchildren —  Zaire, Zaya, and Zavier. The couple also have a daughter together — Kaavia, who's 1 year old. 

Union has talked about the challenges and rewards that come with the role. 

"Being a stepparent is incredibly difficult. You never quite know your space," Union told Rachel Ray in 2017. "It's also awesome."

Other celebrities have also opened up about raising stepchildren

Jada Pinkett Smith has also shared similar sentiments. Her husband, actor and rapper Will Smith, had his son Trey with his ex-wife, Sheree Zampino. The Smiths have two children together, Jaden and Willow. 

In 2018, Pinkett Smith invited Union onto her Facebook show, "Red Table Talk," and the two mothers discussed, among other topics, what it's like to help raise the children their spouses had with other women. 

Pinkett Smith called being a stepmother "a challenge." She also shared what she loves most about her relationship with Trey. 

"My greatest joy is when I can look at Trey, and he can look at me, and just be so deeply thankful for the hard work that all three of us put in," Pinkett Smith said of her relationship with Trey and her husband. 

The feeling appears to be mutual. Last year, Trey posted a photo to Instagram of Pinkett Smith and his mother together, calling the two "angels."

Source: Read Full Article