Sisters Are Doing it For Themselves
We know we’ve developed a kind of obsession with the birth of John Edward Thomas Moynahan to rival the Globe’s play of the ADL on the front page, but the broadsheet’s Names column has a quote from an advice columnist that is driving us nuts, so we had to bring it up again. We apologize in advance.
Considering that Brady and Bridget broke up last winter — and he’s been dating Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen ever since — it’s perhaps not surprising that the baby has been given his mom’s surname, not his dad’s. Nonsense, says Margo Howard, who writes the advice column Dear Margo. “That must have been her choice and he acquiesced, but I don’t know why he would. I mean, he’s responsible for the kid, financially,” said Howard, whose mom “Eppie” Lederer was Ann Landers. “If you’re knocked up and you don’t care for the guy, you give the baby your last name, but Tom Brady’s nobody to be ashamed of, and everyone will call him the Brady kid anyway. I don’t get it.”
For real?
Here’s the thing, Margo. New Englanders refer to the baby as Tom Brady’s kid because we’re all psychotic about sports and we hoped it would be a boy so he can play for the Patriots someday. However, Bridget Moynahan has a pretty nice career of her own. She isn’t a struggling waif, waiting for a man to save her from poverty. And if she were, it seems plenty of other men wouldn’t mind changing some diapers.
Perhaps Moynahan doesn’t “care for the guy” because he is her ex-boyfriend? Sure, Brady doesn’t seem like a bad guy, but he spent all summer gallivanting around the world with a supermodel while Moynahan spent all summer with swollen feet and a huge belly. She can give the kid her surname if that’s what she chooses to do. She’s not in a relationship with Tom Brady. She’s certainly not married to Tom Brady. For all intents and purposes, Bridget Moynahan is a single mother, and single mothers typically give their kids their last name.
We say good for you, Bridget. Here’s hoping you have some hot guy rubbing your sore feet while you take care of your child.
August 29th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Amy, you are the best. When I read the article from the Globe I was looking everywhere for an address to write them and correct them. This naming has nothing to do with Tom Brady being responsible. It has everything to do with Bridget being the sole care provider. Plus it says it all, “I don’t need you or your money” in that name. I think it was extremely generous on her part to use two of his names after what he has done to her.
Thanks Amy, you have made my day.
August 29th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
The child’s initials are JET.
Coincidence?
Or just a nice little dig?
Discuss.
Congrats in any case.
August 29th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
The child’s initials are J.E.T.M. not JET. He’s got a last name, which happens the subject of the blog post.
August 29th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Love your post. Bridget made the right decision - to have this child and and to give him her name. She was more than kind to include Thomas and Edward in the middle. And she doesn’t need Tom’s money. I applaud Bridget and wish her the best.
August 29th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
I do not believe in her at all. Bridget is angry and is trying to be shown as “look at me I do not need him or care about him”. Truth is that she chose to tell everybody she was pregnant when he was with Gisele in paris and made him look awfull and now she does not want ot use his surname???. she is payingit.
I will make a bet she WILL WANT his money. She will fight for it, and it will not take long for the child support issue to come up!
August 30th, 2007 at 9:48 am
here’s the thing — they aren’t married! she is going to be the primary caregiver to this baby, unless kraft has instituted daycare at gillette. why WOULDN’T she give the baby her last name?!?! i honestly can’t believe people STILL get so riled up about last names in a time where half of my married friends (and presumably yours too) did not take their husband’s last name.
August 30th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
THINK OF THE CHILD!
I sometimes really wonder why T.Brady does receive so much credit on the private field. No doubt he deserves it on the football field but he has f*cked up his private life. While waiting on his first child his showboating with Gisele WAS and IS just dreadful.
With whom is the child going to live? With that loser baby daddy or with his mommy?
A child living with his mommy must not be given the daddy’s surname because that would the child make feel the loss even more. But with mommy’s surname there is this important idea about being a family (mom + kid) and having the same surname. That ist probably why the baby does not even have a “double-surname” like Moynahan-Brady.
For the childs future ONE surname is best.
For the childs future THE surname of the single parent is best.