COUPLESAaron Rodgers Rips Ex Danica Patrick's 'Emotionally Abusive' Claims, Says She Was 'Depressed and Not Fun to Be Around'
Aaron Rodgers addressed his past relationship with Danica Patrick while discussing their breakup on a podcast.
Sept. 11 2026, Updated 2:08 p.m. ET
Aaron Rodgers pushed back on Danica Patrick's account of their past relationship, offering a different perspective on what led to their 2020 split.
"I dated Danica. She had just retired [In November 2017]. 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," he said.
Rodgers reflected on their time together during Thursday, September 10’s episode of the "Not Just Football" podcast with Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Cam Heyward.
Aaron Rodgers Responds To Danica Patrick's Claims
Aaron Rodgers reflected on his time with Danica Patrick and their eventual split.
Patrick described the relationship as "emotionally abusive" and said it "wore me down to nothing" during a May 2025 appearance on "The Sage Steele Show."
However, the NFL star felt frustrated with these claims.
"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," he added.
He continued, "So I’m this monster of a partner and it’s just f------ horses---. Number one: Why are you still talking about me? It’s been years."
Rodgers Recalled Their Counseling
Aaron Rodgers recalled discussing a Malibu house and counseling with Danica Patrick.
Rodgers recalled a conversation they had about taking the next step.
"I’m buying a house in Malibu and she goes, 'Do you want to buy it together?' And I said no. And she said, 'You know what that means then?' And I said, 'Yeah, that’s the way things are going.' She said, 'Well, let’s get counseling.' Then we got counseling. Then COVID hits and we’re stuck together," he said.
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Aaron Rodgers discussed his past relationships while appearing on the 'Not Just Football' podcast.
Rodgers later challenged Patrick’s version of their split.
"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," he recalled.
The football quarterback and NASCAR driver dated for about two years before splitting in July 2020.
Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers became engaged in 2021 before ending their relationship.
Following his relationship with Patrick, Rodgers dated actress Shailene Woodley.
The pair became engaged in February 2021 before their relationship ended.
"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 — because her story is that I ruined her life and gave her crazy depression because I left her." he continued.
"But in actuality, she told me that, and then she took off the ring by March — I proposed in December — and we had a couple of times where we tried to get reunited and nothing ever happened," Rodgers added.
