Hermann Nicoli: Candice Swanepoel’s Ex-Fiancé, Model and Father of Her Two Sons
*Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you make a purchase through our affiliate links, at no extra cost to you.
Candice Swanepoel is back at the centre of the celebrity news cycle in November 2026, with her reported romance with Tom Brady, a gold-ring sighting in Florida and a solo turn at the LACMA Art+Film Gala on 7 November keeping the Victoria’s Secret supermodel in the headlines. The renewed attention has also turned the spotlight on the man who shared a decade of her life: her former fiancé, Brazilian model Hermann Nicoli. Nicoli and Swanepoel were together for 13 years, were engaged for three of them, and remain connected as the parents of two young sons.
Nicoli has never chased the fame that followed his famous partner. While Swanepoel built one of modelling’s biggest careers, he worked steadily in the same industry, largely out of the headlines. That low profile is exactly why so much about him is still asked about — from his age and background to what he is doing now.
Hermann Nicoli — Quick Reference Profile
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Hermann Nicoli Rosa |
| Date of birth | 8 July 1982 (age 44) |
| Birthplace | Brazil (city not publicly verified) |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Ethnicity | Italian descent |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), as listed |
| Primary role | Model |
| Agency | Next Model Management (as of 2020) |
| Famous anchor | Candice Swanepoel, ex-fiancée |
| Relationship | Met 2005; engaged August 2015; split November 2018 |
| Children | Two sons — Anacã (b. 5 October 2016) and Ariel (b. 19 June 2018) |
| Siblings | Two sisters, Gabi and Sabrina |
| Net worth | Not publicly verified |
| Social media | Not publicly verified |
From Brazil to Paris: The Early Years That Shaped Hermann Nicoli
Hermann Nicoli Rosa was born on 8 July 1982 in Brazil, according to biographical profiles that agree on the date, although the city of his birth is reported differently — Brasilia in some profiles and the state of Espírito Santo in others — and no primary source settles the question. He grew up in Brazil alongside his two sisters, Gabi and Sabrina, and is of Italian descent. The names of his parents have not been publicly verified.
Little is publicly known about his schooling or early ambitions, and Nicoli has kept that part of his life private. What is documented is that modelling took him to Paris while he was still in his early twenties. It was there, at a fashion event in 2005, that his life changed course.
A Modelling Career That Stayed Out of the Headlines
Nicoli has worked as a model for more than two decades. He has been associated with Next Model Management, one of the industry’s major agencies, and has modelled in Paris and other fashion capitals. Unlike many models of his generation, he never built a large public social media presence around his work.
His height, listed at 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), suited runway and editorial work, but the specific designers he walked for and the magazines that featured him are not well documented in public sources. His career has always been quieter than the supermodel career unfolding beside him — and, by every available account, that suited him.
Thirteen Years With Candice Swanepoel: Meeting, Engagement and Two Sons
Nicoli met Candice Swanepoel in Paris in 2005, when he was 23 and she was 17 and newly arrived from South Africa, where she had been discovered at a flea market in Durban at 15. The two began dating soon after and became one of modelling’s longest-running couples. Swanepoel went on to become a Victoria’s Secret Angel in 2010 and one of the world’s best-known models.
After ten years together, the couple announced their engagement in August 2015. Swanepoel later said she already felt married, telling reporters that “ten years is kind of a marriage” and that she did not need papers to confirm it. Their first son, Anacã, was born on 5 October 2016, and their second son, Ariel, followed on 19 June 2018.
The couple split in November 2018, three years after their engagement and only months after Ariel’s birth. Swanepoel confirmed the break-up herself in a fan question-and-answer session in mid-2019. The reasons for the split were never made public, and neither has spoken about them in detail since.
Life After the Split: Co-Parenting, Privacy and a New Chapter for Swanepoel
Since the split, Nicoli has kept an even lower profile. He and Swanepoel share the care of their two sons, and Swanepoel has spoken about balancing motherhood with her career while keeping her children’s lives largely out of the public eye. In October 2026 she took her son trick-or-treating in Miami Beach wearing her Victoria’s Secret angel wings, a rare public glimpse of family life.
Swanepoel has since been the subject of fresh headlines. Us Weekly reported on 24 October 2026 that she and retired NFL star Tom Brady had been dating for a while, and she was later photographed in Florida wearing a gold band on her left ring finger, which set off engagement rumours. Sources close to Swanepoel have said the couple are not engaged, and neither Brady nor Swanepoel has publicly confirmed a relationship. Her representative said in late October that Swanepoel has always been exceptionally private about her personal life, with her focus on raising her children.
Nicoli, for his part, has made no public comment on his ex-fiancée’s reported new relationship. There is no verified public record of a new partner for him, and his current relationship status is not publicly verified.
Swanepoel is far from the only celebrity partner in the headlines this year. Robert De Niro’s partner Tiffany Chen has also drawn wide attention, while Malgosia Tomassi Keach remains best known as the wife of veteran actor Stacy Keach.
What Hermann Nicoli Is Worth and Where He Stands Now
Estimates of Nicoli’s net worth circulate online — figures of $1.5 million, $2 million and $4 million all appear in different profiles — but they conflict with each other and none comes from a reliable financial source, so his net worth is not publicly verified. What can be said is that he earned his living as a working model for more than twenty years, while Swanepoel’s fortune, reported at more than $25 million, belongs to her own career and her swimwear brand Tropic of C, which she launched in 2018.
Today, at 44, Nicoli remains a private figure whose public identity is still defined mainly by the relationship that ended eight years ago. That is unlikely to change while he keeps no public social media presence and gives no interviews. For readers searching his name in November 2026, the clearest picture is this: a Brazilian model, a father of two, and the man who shared thirteen years with one of the world’s most famous supermodels.
Hermann Nicoli — Questions Readers Are Asking
Who is Hermann Nicoli? Hermann Nicoli is a Brazilian model best known as the former fiancé of Victoria’s Secret supermodel Candice Swanepoel. The two were together for 13 years, from 2005 to 2018, and share two sons.
How old is Hermann Nicoli? Nicoli was born on 8 July 1982, which makes him 44 years old in November 2026. He is six years older than Swanepoel, who was born on 20 October 1988.
Were Hermann Nicoli and Candice Swanepoel married? No. The couple were engaged in August 2015 but never married. Swanepoel once said that after ten years together she already felt married, but no wedding took place before their split in November 2018.
How many children do Hermann Nicoli and Candice Swanepoel have? They have two sons: Anacã, born on 5 October 2016, and Ariel, born on 19 June 2018. Both boys live with their mother in the Miami area, and their parents share their care.
What does Hermann Nicoli do now? Nicoli is a model associated with Next Model Management, as of the most recent public records. He keeps a very low public profile, and his current projects and relationship status are not publicly verified.
Is Candice Swanepoel engaged to Tom Brady? No, according to sources close to Swanepoel. She has been reported to be dating Brady since the spring of 2026, and a gold ring she wore in Florida set off engagement rumours, but insiders have said the couple are not engaged, and neither has publicly confirmed the relationship.
Three Myths About Hermann Nicoli, Corrected
“Hermann Nicoli was Candice Swanepoel’s husband.” False. They were engaged, never married. Some profiles wrongly call him her ex-husband; the correct description is ex-fiancé.
“Nicoli is worth $4 million.” Unverified. Online estimates range from $1.5 million to $4 million with no reliable source behind any figure, so his net worth is not publicly verified.
“Nicoli and Swanepoel split in 2019.” The split happened in November 2018. Swanepoel only confirmed it publicly in a fan Q&A in mid-2019, which is where the later date comes from.
