Over the weekend, social media erupted with commentary after NFL star Tom Brady posted an Instagram video of himself jumping off a cliff into a pool below with his six-year-old daughter. The video was shot as Brady, his wife, model Gisele Bundchen, and their children visited a waterfall in Costa Rica, where the video shows six-year-old Vivian nodding as Brady asks her, “Ready?” Just as Brady jumps, Vivian hesitates, but holding her dad’s hand, winds up taking the plunge anyway. Brady wrote on Instagram, “If Vivi is going to be an Olympic champion one day, it probably won’t be in synchronized diving. Daddy always gives her a 10 though!” He added, “I didn’t want to be the first Brady to fall off a cliff!”
Brady’s post stirred up some strong disagreement; People magazine reported, “Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry and Arizona Cardinals footballer Brett Hundley both commented with a string of crying from laughter emojis.” Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre wrote that Vivian got a “10” but Brady got a thumbs-down.
On the other hand, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wrote, “You KNOW I have complete faith in you as a man, friend, player and father – but this just gave me anxiety. Geeezus.” Diddy posted a crying face emoji.
Yahoo News noted reactions on social media including, “You basically tried to kill her,” “Nothing like getting a torn labrum at 10 years old,” and “He was in motion, if he let her go she could have been seriously injured on the rocks,” “Anything for a selfie … This irresponsible act follows Brady’s dimwitted wife posting pics of their children riding horses without helmets. Tom Brady DRAGS daughter off dangerous cliff after she hesitates before jump,” and “The humanity…. He deserves a lifetime ban! That is child endangerment 101! TB12 ripped daughter arm out of socket while throwing her from a cliff to certain death on the rocks below… Luckily she missed the rocks and landed in the water.”
USA Today pointed out that other reactions on social media were more supportive, including, “I don’t see the big deal surrounding this. Jees it wasn’t much of a ‘Cliff’” and “Relax people. She was fine. And is fine. I can remember stuff like that back in the 60’s. Neg reactions are off spring of PC BS.”
TMZ reported dramatically, “Patriots fans … look away — Tom Brady just hurled himself off a cliff with his daughter in Costa Rica!!! And, yeah … it’s just as cringe-worthy as it sounds!!!”
Back in March 2015, Brady posted a video on Instagram of himself jumping off a higher cliff in Costa Rica into a pool below; occasioning concern from New England Patriots’ fans; NESN reported at the time:
It’s OK, Patriots fans. You can breathe now. Tom Brady almost gave fans a heart attack Saturday morning when a video was posted to his Facebook page of him engaging in some daredevil activities. The New England Patriots quarterback, who currently is loving life on vacation in Costa Rica with the family, took a leap off a rather high cliff recently while his kids and wife Gisele watched him take the scary jump.