Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley's Relationship Timeline

Mar. 15, 2025

Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers.Photo: Matt Stroshane

Aaron RodgersandShailene Woodleyshocked the world when they announced their engagement in February 2021.

Just days after multiple sourcesconfirmed to PEOPLEthat the Green Bay Packers quarterback and theDivergentstar were a couple, Rodgersreferred to Woodleyas his “fiancée” in his 2021 NFL MVP acceptance speech.

Woodleyconfirmed the engagementa few weeks later during an appearance onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, telling the host she never thought she’d marry someone who “throws balls for a living.”

Though Woodley and Rodgers flew under the radar in the beginning of their relationship, they’ve weathered a number of public ups and downs since — including calling off their engagement. From their whirlwind romance and surprise engagement to their breakup, here’s a complete timeline of Rodgers and Woodley’s relationship.

Feb. 3, 2021: Sources confirm Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley are dating

Splash; Getty

In early February 2021,multiple sources confirmed to PEOPLEthat Rodgers and Woodley were an item. One insider shared that Rodgers seemed quite happy with theDescendantsstar, while another said the relationship was “casual” for the time being.

Though it’s unclear exactly when their relationship started, Rodgers gushed onThe Pat McAfee Showin September 2020 that he had an “increased love of life,” adding, “I’ve made decisions and changes and habits that put me in a lot better headspace and there’s just a lot of things that have come together in my life over the last few months that have really been enjoyable … That’s why I’m having so much fun and it starts with love. And then surrounding yourself with people that you really enjoy.”

Feb. 6, 2021: Aaron Rodgers announces his engagement to Shailene Woodley

While accepting the award for the 2020 NFL MVP, Rodgers thanked his “fiancée” in hisacceptance speech— andannounced that he was engaged.

“It’s an honor to win this award for the third time,” Rodgers said at the time. “2020 was definitely a crazy year filled with lots of change and growth, some amazing memorable moments. 180 straight days of having my nose hair scraped, playing for very little fans or no stands the entire season.” Then, the big mic-drop moment: “I got engaged.”

PEOPLEconfirmedthe engagement two days later, with a source close to the couple quipping, “They are very happy together. It’s not surprising he proposed so fast. When you know, you know, right?”

Feb. 9, 2021: Insiders say they were surprised at the couple’s speedy romance

Sourcesclose to the couplesaid they were shocked at how fast Rodgers and Woodley’s relationship turned serious — and that Rodgers hadn’t been single for long following his split from Patrick.

“It was a surprise that they got so close so quickly,” a source close to Rodgerstold PEOPLE. “I mean, it really felt like one day he was with Danica Patrick, and then suddenly he was with Shailene. It happened super fast.”

The insider added that the relationship moved so rapidly that some assumed Woodley was a “rebound.”

“There was no way this could be so serious,” the source said. “Everyone thought it was a casual thing because that’s what he was telling everyone, even when it was clearly not a casual thing.”

Another insiderrevealed to PEOPLEthat those close to the quarterback never expected him to fall so quickly.

“This isn’t like Aaron at all,” the insider said. “He’s usually so methodical about everything. I’m not saying he’s not a romantic, but he thinks things through. He’s analytical. He is very careful. He didn’t seem to be the type to get so serious after just a few months of dating, especially after the way things ended with Danica Patrick.”

The source also shared that Rodger’s joy was unmistakable around Woodley.

“He’s acting very happy,” the source said. “They’re very content and peaceful. It’s nice to see.”

Feb. 23, 2021: Shailene Woodley says she and Aaron Rodgers have been engaged “for a while”

Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley.Getty (2)

Woodleyflashed her engagement ringfor the first time during an appearance onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonin late February 2021 — and revealed that while her and Rodgers' romance was news to many, it wasn’t actually that recent.

“Yes, we are engaged. We are engaged,” she said. “But for us it’s not new news, you know. So it’s kind of funny. Everybody right now is freaking out over it and we’re like, ‘Yeah, we’ve been engaged for a while!’ "

The actress added that she never imagined she’d marry a football player, but that she was quite happy, saying that Rodgers is “just a wonderful, incredible human being.”

March 4, 2021: Aaron Rodgers opens up about the engagement and hints at wanting to start a family

In early March 2021, Rodgersdiscussed his engagementin an Instagram Live conversation with Zenith Watches CEO Julien Tornare.

“I’m recently engaged, so been enjoying that part of my life,” he said. “Obviously that’s the best thing that’s happened to me in the last year.” Rodgers also said he was excited to start a family someday.

“[My] next great challenge will be being a father,” he said, adding that most of his friends his age have kids.

He clarified, however, that fatherhood is “maybe not in the immediate future but definitely something I look forward to, it’s gonna be a really fun challenge … I’ll look forward to taking care of another life at some point. I think it’s gonna be so fun. I’ve dreamt about what that will be like, I’m really excited about that chapter whenever that comes.”

March 29, 2021: Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley are photographed together for the first time since their engagement

March 31, 2021: Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley cuddle up for date night

Woodley and Rodgersmade a rare appearancetogether at the Historic Best Breakfast Cafe, where they dined with some friends. In a group photo from the eatery, Rodgers holds Woodley’s hand on her shoulder from behind as they beam at the camera with the staff.

April 5, 2021: Shailene Woodley says Aaron Rodgers makes for a “super-sexy"Jeopardy!host

Shailene Woodley/Instagram

Woodley expressed her pride at her fiancéguest-hostingJeopardy!followingAlex Trebek’sdeathin November 2020.

In a video posted to her Instagram Story, Woodleytold her followers, “I have a very important announcement to make.” She then pointed her phone at Rodgers, who was driving, as she gushed, “This guy right here is super sexy, super attractive … just shaved his neck this morning. Has a little man bun growing. This guy is hostingJeopardy!tonight!”

A week later, shecelebrated Rodgersas he wrapped up his first week of hosting, posting a video on Instagram of the couple watching the show.

“Who dat sexy man?” she quipped before flipping the camera on her and Rodgers cuddling. “Oh, dat guy right there,” she said as Rodgers smiled.

April 14, 2021: Sources say Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers are great supporters of one another

A sports insidertold PEOPLEthat Rodgers and Woodley are each other’s biggest supporters of their own respective passions.

“Aaron admires Shailene’s dedication to her career and to causes, plus they have a lot of fun together and really talk about things,” the source said. “He has a quiet fire, and I think Shailene needs that. He is confident on the field and in life.”

Meanwhile, a source in the entertainment sphere said of the couple, “Both Shailene and Aaron are bright and zealots for what is important to them. Each has a true respect for the other. They totally support each other.”

May 26, 2021: Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers vacation in Hawaii with Miles Teller and his wife

Miles and Keleigh Teller out with Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers.Keleigh Sperry Teller/Instagram

Woodley and Rodgers took double-dating to a new level, going on aHawaiian vacationwith herDivergentco-star Teller and his wife Sperry Teller.

Sperry Teller posted sweet photos of thegroup hikingandenjoying time at a pond, as well as avideothat showed her and Rodgers singing along toTaylor Swift. The foursomealso enjoyed a karaoke expedition togetherduring their trip.

June 7, 2021: Shailene Woodley says she and Aaron Rodgers were meant to be together

In aninterview withShape, Woodleyrevealedthat she believes she and Rodgers truly were meant to be.

“I have the perspective that I would have met Aaron in any context, any space in time, because I feel we were meant to be together,” she said. “Starting a relationship where you immediately move in with someone — because it’s a pandemic and you can’t just get on a plane and go back and forth on weekends — taught us a lot about each other very quickly. We jumped in headfirst and got some of the sticky bits out of the way early.”

July 16, 2021: Shailene Woodley reveals why she and Aaron Rodgers waited to announce their engagement

Woodleyrevealed toThe Hollywood Reporterthat she and Rodgers kept their engagement quiet until they thought someone else might share the news before they got the chance.

“When we announced that we were engaged, we wanted to do that only because we didn’t want someone else to do it before we did,” she said. “And we didn’t do it for months and months after we had become engaged.”

Because their engagement made so many headlines, the pair opted to disappear for a bit afterward. She explained, “The reaction to it was really a lot, and so we were like, ‘Let’s just politely decline [to talk about the relationship] for a little while and live in our little bubble.'”

Sept. 2, 2021: Aaron Rodgers says spending time apart from Shailene Woodley is a good thing

In early September 2021,Rodgers sharedthat his return to the Packers coincided with a busy work period for Woodley, but that the arrangement was great for them.

“It’s a busy work time for her, so [returning to Green Bay] probably came at a good time for both of us to be able to focus on our work. I think it’s going to be a good thing,” he toldHaute Living, adding, “Her work was shut down for an entire year, and she’s booked a number of projects. She enjoys working and her own routine, which I obviously enjoy, too.”

Dec. 17, 2021: Sources say Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley have a “non-traditional” relationship

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About a month after Rodgers’ vaccination controversy,sources told PEOPLEthat he and Woodley had a “different” relationship. The revelation came after rumors swirled that Rodgers and Woodley had split due to a lack of sightings of the pair together.

“They have a different, non-traditional relationship,” a source close to the actress said. “Shailene and Aaron are still together. It’s not odd they don’t post about each other on their birthdays in that sense, and are very private about things.”

Jan. 25, 2022: Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers “agree to disagree” on politics

In January 2022, Rodgers once again made headlines when heslammedPresident Joe Biden’s administration for their handling of COVID-19 vaccines.

“When the president of the United States says, ‘This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated,’ it’s because him and his constituents, which, I don’t know how there are any if you watch any of his attempts at public speaking, but I guess he got 81 million votes,” he said during an interview with ESPN.

Days later, aninsider told PEOPLEthat Woodley, who previously supportedSen. Bernie Sandersduring his presidential run, simply doesn’t discuss politics with Rodgers.

“They are not talking about their politics, and they never really have,” the source said. “They disagreed on a lot of things. Early on, they decided to agree to disagree about things and not debate them. She is not someone whose mind you can change, so Aaron hasn’t even tried.”

Feb. 16, 2022: Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley call it quits

Less than a month after sources said Rodgers and Woodley didn’t see eye to eye on politics — and about a year after announcing their engagement — a source close to the quarterbacktold PEOPLEthat the couple had ended their relationship and called off their engagement.

“It was an amicable split; it just wasn’t working,” the insider said. “They’re very different people with busy careers and there were obstacles that they couldn’t surmount. They will remain friendly; there’s no bad blood and no drama. It just didn’t work out for them.” Reps for the couple declined to comment on the breakup.

Anotherinsider close to the couple told PEOPLE, “They fell hard and fast, but it was a mismatch from the start. Aaron’s a complicated guy. No one in their circle is surprised this didn’t work out. In the bubble of the pandemic, it was easy for them to fall in love and focus only on their relationship but that’s not real life.”

Feb. 21, 2022: Aaron Rodgers calls Shailene Woodley his “partner”

Aaron Rodgers/Instagram

Less than a week after sources confirmed their split, Rodgers referred to Woodley as his “partner” in anInstagram post about gratitude, which included a photo of the couple cuddling.

“@shailenewoodley, thanks for letting me chase after you the first couple months after we met, and finally letting me catch up to you and be a part of your life,“he wrote. “Thanks for always having my back, for the incredible kindness you show me and everyone you meet, and for showing me what unconditional love looks like. I love you and am grateful for you.”

The next day, Rodgers hinted during anappearance onThe Pat McAfee Showthat they weren’t broken up, noting that he’d spoken to Woodley about winning the NFL MVP award in both seasons for which they’d been together. He also called her “amazing partner to do life with,” which “just makes the work-life a bonus.”

When asked about theSnowdenstar specifically, he said, “she’s just an incredible woman, talented, smart kind,” adding, “I said last night, she taught me what unconditional love looks like and that’s a great gift. When you have a partner like that it just makes life so much more enjoyable.”

March 8, 2022: Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers are spotted together

Less than two weeks after Rodgers called Woodley his partner, the couple wasphotographed togetherin Palm Beach, Florida. The pair flew into West Palm Beach Airport on a private jet together and left on the same plane just hours later.

Days earlier, Rodgers officiated his teammate David Bakhtiari’s wedding in Santa Barbara, California, and Woodley attended the nuptials with him as a friend.

However, aninsider told PEOPLEthat Rodgers wanted to reconcile with Woodley, explaining, “They both had intense work schedules in the fall and it wasn’t possible for them to focus on their relationship. Now when Aaron’s season is over, he wants to give it another try. He thinks Shailene is very special. She is more hesitant though.”

March 19, 2022: Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers get “affectionate” at a winery

Two weeks after attending Bakhtiari’s wedding together, Woodley and Rodgers were spotted getting cozy together at a winery in Los Olivos, California.TMZobtained photos of Rodgers sitting next to Woodley at the Demetria Winery, where Rodgers kept his sunglasses on as he sipped.

A sourcetold PEOPLE, “They seemed really happy. [Shailene] was sitting on [Aaron’s] lap while they hung out at the table with friends.”

“They kissed each other’s heads and were very affectionate,” the insider added.

April 26, 2022: Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers break up again

Despite Rodgers' hopes for a reconciliation, asource told PEOPLEthat the couple had called it quits again on April 26.

“Shailene felt everything was on Aaron’s terms and it wasn’t making her happy,” the insider shared.

Reps for both Woodley and Rodgers did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

April 28, 2022: Shailene Woodley posts about grief after split with Aaron Rodgers

The post continued, “Seeing grief in this way helps us respect what we are going through, rather than being mired in shame and discouragement on top of the pain we already feel.

The actress alsore-shared a postfrom Instagram accounts @the.soul.awakening and @awakenstardust that read, “Like plants we grow when buried in the darkness.” She also included a quote from author Christine Caine in the caption, writing, “Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.”

January 2023: Shailene Woodley opens up about challenges during her breakup with Aaron Rodgers

Woodley explained that filming the Showtime seriesThree Womenwas a challenge because of thedifficulties she was experiencingat the time. The project was filmed between October 2021 and May 2022. That February, PEOPLE reported that Woodley and Rodgers had ended their engagement.

“It was hard to film because I was going through the darkest, hardest time in my life; it was winter in New York, and my personal life was s—-, so it felt like a big pain bubble for eight months,” she toldNet-a-Porter. “I was so grateful that at least I could go to work and cry and process my emotions through my character.”

December 3, 2024: Shailene Woodley says her relationship with Aaron Rodgers was “not right”

In an interview withOutsidemagazine, Woodley admitted that talking about her relationship with Rodgers can be emotional.

“I haven’t shared much about my relationship with Aaron becauseit always makes me cry,” she said. “It was not right. But it was beautiful.”

“I felt like I lost my soul, my self, my happiness, my joy. I really understood depression and anxiety and, like, complete soul detachment,” Woodley said.

source: people.com