Not long after news spread that NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his longtime girlfriend, former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, broke up, rumors began circulating that Rodgers was dating someone new: Big Little Lies actress Shailene Woodley.
Celebrity gossip site TerezOwens.com first shared the rumor that Rodgers is currently dating Woodley, reporting that they received the following tip: “It seemed like Aaron had found his perfect partner in Danica Patrick. Danica had no idea when she introduced actress Shailene Woodley to Aaron that Shailene would make a play for him. Shailene and Aaron were quite cozy this past weekend in Tahoe. Looks like Aaron traded to a much younger girlfriend. Danica is devastated by Aaron’s betrayal.” The tip was shared anonymously, and it’s unclear where it originated – the two have not been publicly photographed together.
Neither Rodgers nor Woodley have commented on the rumor, so while the speculation is interesting, it cannot yet be confirmed. It’s also worth noting that the supposed pair do not currently follow each other on Instagram. Rodgers still follows Patrick on Instagram, although it appears that she has unfollowed him since the split. Interestingly, Woodley follows Patrick on Instagram, but Patrick does not follow her back.
In a New York Times interview published in April 2020, Woodley said she was “very much single,” reflecting, “We’re societally conditioned to assume that one person can be our end-all, be-all. This is a concept I’ve been thinking about often right now, because I’m very much single, and I’ve chosen to be single for a while. The idea of being with someone … is it only because you’ve fallen in love with that person, or because there’s a newness to understanding yourself because of what that person can offer you?” She was previously in a longterm relationship with rugby player Ben Volavola.
Just one day before the rumor began that Rodgers and Woodley were an item, E! News confirmed, per a representative for Danica Patrick, that Rodgers and Patrick were “no longer together.” They started dating in 2017 and took their relationship public in 2018.
If social media is any indication, the two could have called it quits as far back as April, since Patrick’s last Instagram post featuring Rodgers was posted on April 11. In March 2020, however, a source told E! News that an eventual wedding seemed likely for the then-couple, revealing that marriage was “not a matter of if, but when.”
While Rodgers and Woodley’s alleged romance is nothing more than a rumor at this point, what can be confirmed is that Rodgers was recently in Lake Tahoe. According to Packers.com, Rodgers was slated to once again participate in the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. This year, the tournament was held from July 6 through 12; in light of COVID-19 and ongoing social distancing orders to reduce the spread of the virus, the tournament was held without an in-person audience.
Other celebrities from the sports and entertainment industries who participated in the event included Chase Crawford, Terrell Davis, Jerry Rice, Miles Teller, Derek Lowe, Alfonso Ribiero, and Tony Romo.
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