Taylor Swift and the Great WAG Revival

“I’m gone a lot, so she is the boss of the household; she’s the rule setter,” he said.

And then, of course, you have all the gossip and heightened scrutiny to contend with. WAGs often find themselves marrying into fandoms that are openly hostile to women. Long before their eventual divorce, Gisele Bündchen was routinely depicted as desperate for her prolific quarterback husband Tom Brady to retire—a narrative the supermodel agreed was sexist, though not entirely without basis, during an interview with Elle.

“Obviously, I have my concerns—this is a very violent sport, and I have my children and I would like him to be more present,” she said. “I have definitely had those conversations with him over and over again. But ultimately, I feel that everybody has to make a decision that works for [them].”

Ayesha Curry, wife to Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, certainly knows a thing or two about sexist backlash. NBA fans still haven’t forgiven her for confessing, during an appearance on Red Table Talk, that watching women fawn over her husband makes her long to have the same kind of attention from men. It shouldn’t be wrong or radical to acknowledge that insecurity, and yet Ayesha’s vulnerable admission was repeatedly used to imply that she’s not faithful, grateful, or servile enough to her husband.

Gabrielle Union, who is married to retired basketball star Dwyane Wade, takes a ton of flack from fans for, um, literally just talking about her life, including her finances, her stance on rimming, and her vocal support of her stepdaughter’s transition. There is a sense among NBA fans that Union is simply too much—a criticism she shares with Brittany Mahomes. Last year public dislike of Mahomes came to a head when a video of her popping a bottle of champagne went viral. In the infamous clip, posted by brother-in-law Jackson Mahomes, Mahomes sprays the champagne over fans on a chilly night after the Chiefs’ win against the Buffalo Bills in January 2022—a victory that’s been likened to the Super Bowl of the NFL playoffs. The Netflix documentary series Quarterback portrays Mahomes as a grounding force for her husband, but there is a lingering sense, for some fans, that her outspokenness and overcelebrating have tainted her husband’s personal brand.

“I was not prepared for this,” Mahomes said in a joint interview with her husband on CBS This Morning. “And at such a young age. We were in love, and I loved him with all of my heart. But, you know, I didn’t expect it to skyrocket this soon, and us kind of just being thrown into the fire like this.

“When I started posting on Instagram me screaming and getting rowdy in the suite,” she continued. “I think the first time I did that it got blown up—and it’s like, ‘She’s crazy, this is too much.’”