Aaron Rodgers is breaking his silence about one of the most complicated relationships of his life. In a recent podcast, the NFL star offered a version of his breakup with Shailene Woodley that is very different from the one that has circulated publicly for years. According to him, she told him that there was something she needed to do before they got married - sleep with another man.
© GettyThe NFL star opened up about his relationship history on teammate Cam Heyward’s “Not Just Football” podcast, reflecting on everything from his split from Danica Patrick to his engagement to Woodley and the explosive claim that would have been fitting for a plotline on The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
In the episode released Wednesday, Rodgers claimed that after he proposed to Woodley in December 2021, “But not a couple days after that she tells me … before we get married I got to go f*** this guy.”
Rodgers called out the narrative he says is going around that he had devastated Woodley. "Her story is that I ruined her life and gave her a crazy depression because I left her. But the actuality is she told me that then she took off the ring by March," he said.
According to Rodgers, they tried to reconcile a "couple of times." “She literally told me, ‘I don’t want to be with you,’” he said, describing what he says happened after they tried to reconnect in 2021.
The comments add a new layer to a breakup that both Rodgers and Woodley seemed to want to keep away from the public.
The pair were first linked in 2020, and by February 2021, Rodgers revealed that he was engaged, but didn't reveal to whom. Woodley later confirmed the relationship publicly, and they remained relatively private.
The former couple's downfall
© The Image Direct/The Grosby GroupTheir first reported split came in February 2022, about a year after their engagement. At the time, the breakup was described as the result of their differences, demanding careers, and "obstacles."
A source told People that the two were “very different people with busy careers” and had encountered “obstacles that they couldn’t surmount.” The insider added that there was “no bad blood and no drama” and that they would remain friendly.
There were also reports that the pair had agreed to disagree about politics, although sources specifically indicated that their political differences were not being blamed for the breakup.
But then they were spotted together again in the weeks following, including at his teammate David Bakhtiari's wedding in Santa Barbara in March 2022. At the time, their reunion sparked speculation that they had decided to give the relationship another chance.
© The Grosby GroupThen, Rodgers shared an emotional Instagram post featuring Woodley among a collection of things he was grateful for. He thanked her for “always having my back,” her kindness, and for showing him “what unconditional love looks like,” adding, “I love you and am grateful for you.”
There were reports that they split for good the next month, in April 2022. An E! insider said at the time she tried to give it another shot, “but she quickly saw that everything was on his terms and nothing was going to change.”
He has since moved on, marrying a woman he met years ago named Brittani in 2025.
