Joan Smalls has seemingly confirmed her explosive friendship breakup with fellow supermodel Candice Swanepoel.
Smalls, 36, fired back at a fan on social media who asked whether the two Victoria’s Secret veterans were still friends, writing “Two words: ‘SUMMER HOUSE!’ That’ll explain everything,” according to a comment captured by DeuxMoi. The reference to the Bravo reality series landed just days after the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Los Angeles on Oct. 18, where the pair were kept far apart backstage.
A source alleges that organizers had been briefed on the off-the-runway cold war before the models ever hit the catwalk. “Everyone on the team knew in advance that they had a falling out and that Joan would not go near her,” the source said. “Thats why you won’t find one photo of them together at the show.” The pair, once described as “inseparable” across 15 years of friendship, were “isolated from each other backstage” throughout the production.
The rupture traces back to Tom Brady. A source said that Smalls and the former NFL quarterback, 47, first crossed paths at Michael Rubin’s star-studded Fourth of July party in 2024, then began dating casually about six months later. “She dated him casually on and off for almost a full year,” the source said. Swanepoel had reportedly urged her friend to end things with the Patriots great, who was previously married to fellow Angel Gisele Bündchen, and even offered a shoulder when the romance crumbled.
Smalls was stung when Brady was spotted looking cozy with influencer Alix Earle while ringing in 2026 at a party in St. Barts. “Joan was hurt when she saw all the rumors,” the source said. “She was sad and confiding in Candice about being hurt.” The wound deepened with reports that Swanepoel had met Brady through someone in the fashion world and that the pair had been together since May.
Smalls went on the warpath in additional comments captured by DeuxMoi. In a now-deleted message, she wrote there “was no girl code.”
“And the disrespect and carelessness in how they treat you is so unimaginable. There’s no going back. Some people lack humility and moral compass,” she continued in the post. “And the way they gaslight, lie and minimize your feelings is the worst slap in the face after 15yrs or friendship. Not a sorry said or written. Onwards and upwards!!!”
The “Summer House” parallel Smalls invoked refers to the Bravo show’s recent season, which tracked Amanda Batula and Ciara Miller’s friendship imploding after Batula began secretly dating Miller’s ex, West Wilson. Smalls has since been telling mutual friends to pick a side, according to a source. “It’s just so insane and so messy,” the source said.
Amanda Ruisi, a representative for Swanepoel, previously offered a measured response to the fallout. “Candice has always been exceptionally private about her personal life, with her focus remaining on raising her children,” Ruisi said. “She and Joan share a longstanding history and a friendship that Candice will always respect.” Swanepoel shares two sons with her ex-fiancé, Brazilian model Hermann Nicoli. Brady has two children with Bündchen and a son with ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan. Smalls has no children.
Reps for Victoria’s Secret, Smalls and Swanepoel did not comment on this story.