There's already 'tension' between Tom Brady and his new flame Candice Swanepoel, as friends make brutal 'hookup' admission... and girl-on-girl Victoria's Secret feud erupts

'I'm not friends with backstabbers.'

With just five words, supermodel Joan Smalls torched a 15-year friendship with fellow catwalk queen Candice Swanepoel. And at the heart of the wreckage is said to be NFL legend Tom Brady.

The 49-year-old former quarterback, who split from model Gisele Bundchen in 2022, now finds himself wedged between two of his ex-wife's fellow Victoria's Secret Angels: Swanepoel, said to be his latest paramour, and Smalls, a model to whom he was once linked.

Now the models' once iron-clad friendship has imploded, with Smalls seemingly airing their dirty laundry online with a cryptic swipe at women who don't honor 'girl code.'

As for Brady, one insider says, he'd rather stay on the sidelines.

'Tom wants absolutely no part of the feud between Candice and Joan, and he feels like he's getting caught in the crossfire of a situation that really has nothing to do with him,' the source told the Daily Mail.

'Whatever tension exists between the two of them is their business, and he doesn't think it's fair that he's being dragged into the drama.'

The warring models, both 38, used to be inseparable, just last August appearing side by side in an Anne Klein campaign, with Smalls gushing: 'Doing it alongside my best friend, Candice, makes it even more meaningful.'

But little more than a year later, when they strutted down the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show runway this month, the former besties were not seen anywhere near each other.

Eagle-eyed fans soon descended on Smalls' Instagram, with one commenting on an October 20 post: 'You are not friend[s] anymore with Candice?'

That's when she let rip, replying with the now-infamous barb about 'backstabbers,' and did not hold back in another since-deleted comment that has circulated on social media.

'There is no girl code with some people. 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.

'And the way they gaslight, lie and minimize your feelings is the worst slap in the face after 15 [years of] friendship. Not a sorry said or written. Onwards and upwards!!!'

Then she doubled down. When Just Jared posted about the alleged drama on Instagram, Smalls took to the comments herself, writing: 'Two words: SUMMER HOUSE! That'll explain everything.'

The cryptic dig was seemingly a callback to the infamous fallout between reality stars Ciara Miller and Amanda Batula, whose friendship was decimated after the latter began secretly dating Miller's ex and fellow co-star, West Wilson.

Come Wednesday, Smalls posted another dig on her Instagram Story, writing: 'This Halloween I'm dressing up as accountability. Apparently that's the scariest f***ing thing some people can face.'

Brady, for his part, hasn't exactly helped by fishing in such a glamorous pond.

Single again after his 2022 divorce from 46-year-old Bundchen, the Super Bowl champion, 49, has been linked to a string of famous beauties, including model Irina Shayk, reality star Brooks Nader, actress Sofia Vergara and influencer Alix Earle – keeping the rumor mill firmly in business.

According to our insider, that's no accident.

'Since Gisele, Tom has kept his distance from falling in love and has instead had flings or hookups because his kids and his job are what is important to him,' the source said. 'He knows relationships come and go, but family and football are forever, and he isn't interested in heartache.'

And he has even less time for playground politics.

'Tom doesn't see how he fits into any of it,' the source said. 'The last thing he wants is to get caught up in what he considers high school antics. He's got kids of his own, and as far as he's concerned, that kind of drama belongs in the schoolyard, not in his personal life.'

Smalls, meanwhile, has kept her love life under wraps since her fling with billionaire heir Henry Junior Chalhoub, whom she was last pictured with in 2021.

Her link to Brady first surfaced in an anonymous tip shared by the celebrity gossip site Deuxmoi, which claimed the pair recently 'dated on and off.'

But if they did, don't expect Brady to spill – according to our insider, he's never been one to kiss and tell.

'Tom and Joan know each other and have been friendly in the past, but if it ever got romantic, Tom hasn't talked about it,' the source said.

Still, he's been in the fame game long enough to know gossip has a life of its own.

'He's not naive enough to think he can stop every rumor or accusation,' the source said. 'But that doesn't mean he's going to sit back and accept being blamed for something he doesn't believe he has anything to do with.'

The source added: 'Tom would rather keep his distance, let Candice and Joan sort out whatever issues they have between themselves, and refuse to give the situation more oxygen than it deserves.'

As for the new flame, it's still early days for Brady and Swanepoel - with news of their rumored romance only surfacing this week - but a friendship implosion hasn't exactly made for a quiet start.

According to our insider, things with Swanepoel have been 'going on for a few months' and the pair are said to be 'having a good time together' – though she 'seems to want something more serious than Tom.'

'Candice is definitely the one who has been more eager to get this relationship out there, while Tom is happy to enjoy what they have without putting too much of a label on it.'

On paper, at least, the pair make sense: both live in Miami, both are co-parenting with their exes, and both know a thing or two about life in the spotlight.

Brady shares Benjamin, 16, and Vivian, 13, with Bundchen, as well as son Jack, 19, with ex Bridget Moynahan. Swanepoel, meanwhile, is mom to sons Anaca, ten, and Ariel, eight, with ex-fiancé Hermann Nicoli, whom she split from in 2018 after more than a decade together.

But Brady is in no rush to make any kind of relationship with Swanepoel official, and his hard-to-get act may only be adding to his appeal.

'He's not going to broadcast it anytime soon because he enjoys being known as the bachelor,' the source said.

'His relationship mindset only makes the women he does hook up with want him more because they want to attain what might be unattainable,' they claimed.

Indeed, Brady appears to be relishing his post-divorce freedom – and with a busy Fox broadcasting career, he has bigger fish to fry than girlfriend drama.

'His priority is his career, and the idea of settling into a committed relationship just isn't at the top of his to-do list,' the insider said, adding that for now, Brady likes to keep 'a little mystery around his personal life.'

Though, as our source was quick to point out, that could 'change down the road.'

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Swanepoel, Brady and Smalls for comment.