Victoria's Secret Angels Candice Swanepoel and Joan Smalls appear to fall out
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The gist
Model Joan Smalls wrote "I'm not friends with backstabbers" as fans noticed she and Candice Swanepoel unfollowed each other.
The two Victoria's Secret Angels had been close for over a decade, and an unverified Tom Brady rumor is tangled in.
Background
Candice Swanepoel is a South African model who has been a Victoria's Secret Angel since 2010, wore the brand's $10 million Royal Fantasy Bra in 2013, and runs her own swimwear label Tropic of C. Joan Smalls is a fellow model and Angel who had been close friends with Swanepoel for more than a decade. Both walked the 2026 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Culver City, California, on Oct 18 — the brand's third show since it was cancelled in 2018 — and speculation about a rift followed, with fans noting the two no longer follow each other on Instagram.
How it unfolded
- 2010Candice Swanepoel becomes a Victoria's Secret Angel.
- 2025Swanepoel and Joan Smalls appear together in an Anne Klein campaign.
- Jul 2026According to a fan account, signs of a possible rift date back to July, when Swanepoel reportedly didn't publicly acknowledge Smalls' birthday.
- Oct 18, 2026Both Swanepoel and Smalls walk the 2026 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California.
- Oct 2026Smalls allegedly stays quiet when Swanepoel celebrates her birthday in October.
- Oct 23, 2026Just Jared reports Smalls seemingly confirmed a friendship breakup, writing "Two words: SUMMER HOUSE ! That'll explain everything." on its Instagram post.
- Oct 24, 2026Us Weekly reports, citing a source, that Tom Brady and Swanepoel are dating; The News International reports fans noticed Swanepoel and Smalls no longer follow each other on Instagram.
Who’s saying what
- Public
- Fans noticed Swanepoel and Smalls no longer follow each other on Instagram, and a fan account traced possible tension back to July.
- Party
- Smalls allegedly wrote "I'm not friends with backstabbers" and "There is no girl code with some people," and on Just Jared's post referenced "SUMMER HOUSE !" as an explanation.
- Party
- Swanepoel shared past looks on Instagram before the show, writing, "For all the dreamers. Good luck to all the Angels walking today!"
- Caution
- Smalls disputed a commenter's drug-addiction allegation, saying such claims are always aimed at Black and Latin women and "this is harming."
Still unverified
Us Weekly, citing an unnamed source, reported that Tom Brady and Swanepoel are dating and have been together "for a while"; neither has publicly addressed it. A DeuxMoi tipster claimed Smalls and Brady dated on and off for about a year, that Swanepoel raised concerns out of respect for Brady's ex-wife Gisele Bündchen, and that Swanepoel later became involved with Brady. Smalls never explicitly said what happened between her and Swanepoel, and the "backstabbers" and "girl code" comments were allegedly made and have since been deleted. A commenter alleged the feud was over a drug addiction, which Smalls disputed.