Shailene Woodley’s friends are pushing back after Aaron Rodgers aired details of their long-ended engagement on a podcast.
The actress’s inner circle questioned why Rodgers, 42, would dredge up a relationship he ended more than two years ago, sources close to the “Divergent” star, 34, said Friday. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback secretly married a woman identified only as “Brittani” a couple months before his June 2025 revelation, making the timing of his ex-focused commentary particularly puzzling to those in Woodley’s camp.
“We’re questioning why a married dude is bringing up an ex he hasn’t spoken with in over two years,” one source told the outlet.
During Thursday’s episode of the “Not Just Football” podcast, Rodgers claimed Woodley had accepted his proposal only to deliver a shocking reversal days later. “Before we get married, I got to go f–k this guy,” he alleged she told him, though he did not name the man. He added that she had removed her engagement ring by March 2021, mere weeks after their February 2021 engagement became public.
Rodgers also contended that Woodley felt pressured into saying yes, though he noted she “could have said no.”
The sources emphasized that Woodley has “no ill will” toward her former fiancé and has never spoken negatively about him within her circle. They characterized his decision to revisit their past as “out of character,” noting that he had appeared to respect her preference for privacy throughout their relationship.
The couple reportedly began dating in July 2020 and parted ways in February 2022 in what was described as an “amicable” breakup. They have had no contact since, according to the sources, who added that Woodley would not be comfortable with Rodgers publicly discussing their relationship details.
Rodgers used the same podcast appearance to push back against characterizations from Woodley and another ex, race car driver Danica Patrick, that he was a “monster” in relationships. He dismissed such claims as “horse s–t.”
“I dated two women who nobody gives a f–k about unless they drop my name,” Rodgers said. He further alleged that Woodley was at the “height of [her] fame” during their time together and that “no one knows what they are doing” in reference to his exes, including Patrick. “They get clicks when they say my name,” he continued. “Just like the idiots on TV get clicks when they say my name, because I am a lightning rod.”
Woodley’s friends do not believe she would approve of Rodgers sharing intimate details of their relationship publicly, the sources noted, underscoring the disconnect between his current narrative and her continued silence on the matter.
Rodgers and Woodley’s romance became public knowledge in 2020, with the quarterback announcing their engagement during his NFL MVP acceptance speech in February 2021. The relationship moved quickly, with the pair reportedly spending time together during the early pandemic months before the engagement. Their split in early 2022 came after months of speculation, with both parties initially keeping details private. Rodgers has since remarried, while Woodley has maintained her stance of not publicly addressing their history.
Reps for Woodley did not immediately respond to the outlet’s request for comment.
Rodgers is scheduled to continue his NFL season with the Steelers.