NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers has broken his silence regarding his past relationship with former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, disputing her claims that their relationship was "emotionally abusive." Rodgers stated that Patrick was "depressed" during their time together and that they experienced "intimacy issues."
Rodgers' comments came during an appearance on the "Not Just Football" podcast with his Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Cam Heyward. He expressed frustration with Patrick continuing to discuss their past relationship years after their split in July 2020, after more than two years together. The couple began dating in January 2018 and lived together in Malibu for a period in early 2020.
"No one cares what they have to say until they say my name," Rodgers said. "I dated two women who nobody gives a f*** about unless they drop my name—and they like to say their version of the history of what actually happened. So I'm this monster of a partner and it's just fing horses. Number one: Why are you still talking about me? It's been years."
He recounted their breakup, stating, "I dated Danica. She had just retired. She was depressed and not fun to be around. But I didn't leave her because I was trying to be there and be a good partner. Then it was going a certain direction obviously. There was no intimacy; there was nothing."
Rodgers also addressed Patrick's account of their split, where she described feeling blindsided and experiencing emotional abuse. "She tells a story that she was so blindsided and getting left by you, and that he leaves a trail of blood around him. And I'm like, what are you talking about? That's not what happened," Rodgers stated.
Last summer, Patrick had shared her perspective on the relationship with ex-ESPN broadcaster Sage Steele, calling the breakup the most painful experience of her life. "The breakup with Aaron in 2020, because it was sudden. It felt like it was my life," she said. "So when you live with somebody, it's your whole life… and because the nature of the relationship was emotionally abusive, so that wore me down to nothing."
Rodgers also briefly touched upon his previous relationship with actress Shailene Woodley, with whom he was engaged. He claimed Woodley told him she needed to "go f***" another man before their proposed marriage. "I proposed to Shailene and she said yes. Now, she maybe felt like she was forced to make a decision. She could have said no," Rodgers said. "A couple days after that she tells me, 'Before we get married, I gotta go f*** this guy,' and I'm like... But in actuality, she told me that and then she took off the ring by March... and we had a couple of times where we tried to get reunited and nothing ever happened. There wasn’t even a relationship in 2022 to break off."
Rodgers, 42, is preparing for his 22nd and final NFL season with the Steelers, who are set to play the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. According to a recent report, Rodgers plans to step away from public life after his playing career concludes, focusing on his role as a husband and father with his wife, Brittani.