Tom Brady will not attend Patriots’ visit to White House due to ‘personal family matters’
Tom Brady will not attend Wednesday’s visit to the White House with the rest of the Patriots, he announced.
“In light of some recent developments, I am unable to attend today’s ceremony, as I am attending to some personal family matters,” Brady said in a statement. "Thank you to the President for hosting this honorary celebration and for supporting our team for as long as I can remember. Hopefully, if we accomplish the goal of winning a championship in the future years, we will (be) back on the South Lawn again soon."
Brady’s mother has been battling cancer since before the Super Bowl. He will be spending time with her Wednesday, according to the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe.
As of Sunday, Brady had reportedly been expected to attend the festivities.
Wednesday’s ceremony is expected to go on as planned, despite the news that former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez hung himself in prison.
Six of Brady’s teammates have said they will not attend Wednesday’s ceremony due to concerns about President Donald Trump. Brady is a longtime friend of Trump’s.
Brady also did not attend the Patriots’ visit to the White House in 2015 to celebrate their Super Bowl XLIX victory.
