Reports Say Brady Romance Strained Smalls-Swanepoel Friendship

Sources cited by Page Six said Swanepoel had urged Smalls to end her involvement with Brady and supported her when the relationship became difficult. Smalls was reportedly hurt after Brady was seen with influencer Alix Earle at a New Year’s celebration in St. Barts as 2026 began. “Joan was hurt when she saw all the rumors. She was sad and confiding in Candice about being hurt,” a source told the outlet.

Brady and Smalls first met at Michael Rubin’s Fourth of July party in 2024. A source told Page Six their romantic involvement began about six months later and continued on and off for almost a year. Another account, cited by Us Magazine, said they had been seeing each other intermittently between 2023 and 2024, describing the relationship as casual.

At the fashion show, a source said organizers knew the pair had fallen out and kept them apart backstage. “That’s why you won’t find one photo of them together at the show,” the source told Page Six. Reports also said Brady and Swanepoel had been dating since spring. PEOPLE reported they were spending time together without rushing to define the relationship; a source said they were not engaged, despite photographs of Swanepoel wearing a gold band on her left ring finger.

Brady drew speculation with an Instagram story stating, “You are not responsible for correcting every false version of you that exists in someone else’s head.” He added three heart emojis. On October 28, Swanepoel’s representative told Us Weekly that she preferred to keep her personal life private and said she and Smalls shared “a longstanding history and a friendship that Candice will always respect.” Reports said the models had unfollowed each other on Instagram. Smalls also reportedly commented, “Two words: SUMMER HOUSE! That’ll explain everything,” beneath a post about Brady and Swanepoel.