Shailene Woodley laughed off questions about Aaron Rodgers at a Hollywood charity event Sunday night, just days after the NFL quarterback unleashed a barrage of scathing claims about their former engagement on a popular podcast.
The Emmy-winning actress, 34, was arriving at MPTF’s 20th Annual Evening Before in West Hollywood, California, with a friend when a reporter pressed her for reaction. “Any comment on Aaron Rodgers? Anything to say about Aaron and what he said?” the reporter asked. Woodley and her companion simply chuckled and smiled at the camera as they continued into the venue, offering no verbal response.
The silent dismissal came roughly a week after Rodgers, 42, appeared on the “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” podcast and made a series of inflammatory statements about Woodley and another famous ex, former professional racer Danica Patrick. “No one knows what they’re doing,” Rodgers claimed of his high-profile former partners. “They get clicks when they say my name. Just like the idiots on TV get clicks when they say my name because I am a lightning rod.”
Rodgers also alleged that Woodley had asked to sleep with another man shortly after accepting his proposal in December 2020. “She said yes. … A couple days after that she tells me, ‘Before we get married I gotta go f–k this guy,'” he said on the podcast. He noted that she “took off the ring” by March 2021, though he did not identify the man he claimed she wanted to have relations with.
The quarterback further insisted that Woodley may have “felt like she was forced to make a decision” to get engaged, but added that she “could have said no.” The couple ultimately split for good in February 2022, and Rodgers demanded in the same interview that his ex stop mentioning him publicly. “Move on with your life. Don’t mention me,” he said.
Those remarks landed with especially awkward timing for Rodgers. Woodley had just won her first Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Hulu’s “Paradise,” a victory that undercut his claim that she was at the “height of [her] fame” only while they were together.
Social media users quickly rallied behind Woodley’s wordless response at the charity event. “😂😂😂 Nice try Aaron, she is winninggggg,” one fan wrote. Another praised her restraint: “Love that she just laughed it off 👏👏.” A third speculated about her mindset, commenting, “This is giving her and her bestie heard the interview and died laughing 😂.”
The apparent ease Woodley displayed in brushing off the questions belies reported concern among those close to her. “We’re questioning why a married dude is bringing up an ex he hasn’t spoken with in over two years,” a source said on Friday. Rodgers confirmed in June 2025 that he had married a woman he has identified only as “Brittani.”
The podcast episode marked an escalation in Rodgers’ public commentary about his past relationships, which had already drawn attention for their unusually personal nature. His decision to revisit the details of his broken engagement more than three years after the final split, and while in a new marriage, prompted the outlet source’s pointed observation about his motivations.
Woodley’s career trajectory has continued upward since the relationship ended. Beyond her recent Emmy win, she has maintained steady work in television and film, including the well-received “Paradise” role that earned her industry recognition. The actress has not publicly addressed Rodgers’ claims beyond her laughter at Sunday’s event.
Rodgers, meanwhile, has leaned into media appearances during a turbulent period in his football career. The podcast circuit has become a regular platform for him to discuss both athletic and personal matters, often generating headlines for provocative statements rather than sports analysis.
The contrast between the two exes’ approaches has become its own storyline. Where Rodgers devoted airtime to rehashing old grievances, Woodley offered only a smile and kept walking — a split-screen that fans online have interpreted as a clear scorecard.
The MPTF event, held annually before the Emmy Awards ceremony, draws entertainment industry figures for a night benefiting the Motion Picture & Television Fund. Woodley’s attendance came during a week when she had ample professional success to discuss, making her silence on Rodgers all the more pointed.
Rodgers has not responded to the reaction his comments generated, nor has he clarified his decision to discuss Woodley so extensively while newly married. His wife Brittani has remained absent from the public back-and-forth.
Woodley is expected to continue promotional activities for “Paradise” in the coming weeks.