Gisele Bundchen is a keeper.

Not only is she the richest and perhaps most beautiful model on Earth, but she says learning Tom Brady knocked up ex Bridget Moynahan brought them closer.

Step-motherhood and getting married came naturally to Gisele – who in February wed New England Patriots star Brady, just 18 months after his former girlfriend Moynahan gave birth to Brady’s child, John Edward Thomas Moynahan.

"It was definitely a surprise for both of us," Bundchen, 28, tells Leslie Bennetts in Vanity Fair’s May issue. "In the beginning you’re living this romantic fantasy; you’re thinking, This can’t be true, it’s so good! And then, Whoops – wake-up call!"

The rude awakening came just two and a half months after she had met Brady through a friend in late 2006, when she was instantly attracted to his smile.

 

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There’s no disputing that Bridget’s baby bombshell "was a very challenging situation," admits Gisele. "Obviously, in the beginning, it’s not the ideal thing."

Doubts arose. "You question at times – ‘Should I stay here? Maybe you should work this out,’" she says. "But when people break up, it’s for a reason."

In the end, working with Brady to deal with the baby, "was a blessing, because otherwise I don’t think I would have known what he was made of, and he wouldn’t have known what I was made of," she says, noting the athlete’s integrity.

"He was such a good person through all the times. His heart is in a good place! It made me feel more in love with him; it made me realize who he was."