Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers’ past relationship is back in the spotlight after the NFL star made new claims about their engagement and split.

Aaron Rodgers has opened up about his highly publicized relationship with actress Shailene Woodley, making a series of new claims about the end of their engagement and the unsuccessful attempts to reconcile after their split.

The NFL quarterback discussed his past relationship during a recent episode of the “Not Just Football” podcast, reflecting on the couple’s engagement in December 2020 and the events that followed.

Rodgers offered his version of the breakup while criticizing what he described as public comments made by Woodley and some of his other former partners.

According to Rodgers, Woodley accepted his proposal but allegedly told him only days later that she wanted to be with another man before they got married.

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Rodgers did not identify the person he claimed Woodley was referring to.

“She said yes,” Rodgers recalled. “A couple days after that she tells me, ‘Before we get married I gotta go f–k this guy.’”

The comments were made while Rodgers was discussing the complicated circumstances surrounding the couple’s engagement.

He acknowledged that Woodley may have felt pressured when making the decision to accept his proposal, but he also argued that she had the option of declining.

Rodgers said the relationship began to deteriorate soon afterward.

He claimed that Woodley eventually removed her engagement ring by March 2021, despite the pair making efforts to repair their relationship.

“We had a couple of times where we tried to get reunited and nothing ever happened,” Rodgers said.

The former couple’s relationship had already attracted enormous public attention before their breakup.

Their romance became public in early 2021, although reports indicated they had begun dating in 2020. Rodgers later confirmed that he and Woodley had become engaged, with the announcement surprising many fans because the relationship had been kept relatively private.

Their engagement, however, did not lead to marriage. By 2022, the relationship had ended.

Rodgers disputed the idea that the couple had a conventional breakup in 2022, saying that the relationship had effectively ended much earlier.

He claimed Woodley eventually told him directly that she did not want to continue the relationship after their attempts at reconciliation.

“There wasn’t even a relationship in 2022 to break off,” Rodgers said. “She literally told me, ‘I don’t want to be with you,’ after we tried some reconciliation in 2021.”

The football star also addressed comments Woodley has made publicly about the difficult period surrounding their relationship and its aftermath. Rodgers expressed frustration with what he characterized as negative portrayals of him by former partners.

He argued that his public profile makes him an easy target for attention and suggested that discussing him publicly can generate media interest.

“Move on with your life. Don’t mention me,” Rodgers said during the podcast.

Rodgers specifically addressed Woodley, saying that her account of their relationship differs substantially from his own.

He rejected the suggestion that he was responsible for the emotional difficulties she described following their split.

“Shai, you left me, you took the ring off,” Rodgers said.

Woodley has previously spoken publicly about experiencing an extremely difficult period around the time of the relationship’s collapse, although she has not publicly confirmed the specific allegation Rodgers made in his latest interview.

In a 2024 interview with Outside magazine, Woodley described the period surrounding the end of the relationship as deeply traumatic.

She said she experienced profound emotional distress and described feeling disconnected from herself and from things she previously enjoyed.

Woodley referred to that chapter of her life as the “lowest low” she had experienced. She also discussed feelings of depression and anxiety while reflecting on the personal challenges she had faced.

The actress previously gave another indication of how difficult the breakup had been during a 2023 interview.

She described her personal life at the time as extremely painful and said she felt as though she had been living inside a period of intense emotional distress for months.

Woodley also discussed relationship patterns in a 2024 interview with Bustle, reflecting on her past tendency to become emotionally involved with people who were unavailable.

She explained that she was no longer interested in relationships where she felt crossed or disrespected.

Although Woodley has spoken about the emotional impact of the breakup, she has generally kept details of her relationship with Rodgers private.

Her representatives had not immediately responded to requests for comment regarding Rodgers’ latest allegations at the time of the report.

Rodgers and Woodley’s romance first made headlines in early 2021.

Their relationship came as something of a surprise to fans, particularly because Rodgers had previously maintained a relatively private dating life.

Shortly after reports of their romance emerged, Rodgers revealed that he was engaged, later confirming Woodley was his fiancée.

The pair appeared to keep their relationship relatively low-key despite their celebrity status.

Their engagement ultimately lasted only a short time, and reports of their separation began circulating later in 2021 before their split became more firmly established.

Since the breakup, Woodley has largely kept her romantic life out of the spotlight and has not publicly introduced another long-term partner.

Rodgers, meanwhile, has moved on with his personal life.

The quarterback confirmed in 2025 that he had married, although he initially kept his wife’s identity private. He has subsequently referred to his spouse, Brittani, in public comments.

During the latest podcast appearance, Rodgers also spoke warmly about his current marriage and described his wife as “the one that got away.”

He explained that the two had originally dated in 2017 before separating and eventually finding their way back to each other.

Rodgers’ latest comments have once again brought his brief engagement to Woodley into the spotlight.

While the former couple clearly remembers the relationship and its ending differently, the actress has not publicly responded to the specific claims made during Rodgers’ podcast appearance.

For now, Rodgers’ account represents his side of a breakup that has remained a subject of public fascination years after the relationship ended.

Woodley’s previous interviews provide a different perspective on the emotional toll of that period, but she has not publicly addressed the new allegation regarding what allegedly happened after their engagement.