Shailene Woodley has kept her love life relatively out of the spotlight,
but her relationship with ex Aaron Rodgers was quick to make headlines,
especially after their sudden split at the beginning of 2022. Fans couldn't help but scratch
their heads when the couple called it quits out of the blue, but it seems that there were signs
that their relationship was falling apart months before they shared the news of their breakup.
Despite the fact that the actress has been notoriously private about her love life,
she had previously gone public with another one of her relationships.
She had previously dated rugby player Ben Volavola back in 2018,
confirming their relationship via Instagram, posting a photo of the pair kissing.
They were first linked in 2017, and the couple made their red carpet debut in May
the following year. This was a pretty big deal for Shailene. While there
had been whispers of her dating other guys - namely her 'Divergent' costar
Theo James - this was the first time she publicly confirmed an official relationship.
While she'd previously remained tight-lipped about her relationships, she wasn't afraid to
open up about her thoughts on love and her views on dating. "I fall in love with human beings based
on who they are, not based on what they do or what sex they are," She shared in an interview.
She believed that when you're in love, you've got your partner's back;
they're someone who holds you high and keeps you safe. She added, "You also love me whole, wild
and free. You let me do me, and I'm gonna let you do you! And I'll be the home that you return to."
Shailene then suddenly revealed in April 2020 that they had split.
After about three years of dating, she explained in an interview that they
"were very much on the road to marriage and children." However, she was not ready for
the next step. "I realized I was still at an age where I wasn't able to fully commit.
I couldn't be available to him in the way that I wanted to be. I didn't fully love myself."
So when it came to her relationship with Ben, she had learned a lot about herself.
She realized that it's important to sometimes slow down enough to "understand
the inner workings of your own heart" before looking for someone else to fill those gaps.
She didn't want anyone else to come into her life to fill a void. She wanted that
special someone to add to what she'd already been able to create on her own.
Over the next few months, Shailene flew solo until the beginning of 2021;
it was reported that she was dating Aaron Rodgers.
"They started off as friends, but things have turned romantic.
The two are staying in contact while they are living away from each other.
The relationship is long-distance for right now, but they are making it work." An insider revealed.
And then, in a super shocking announcement,
Aaron shared during his acceptance speech for the NFL Honors Awards that they were engaged!
"180 straight days of having my nose hair scraped,
playing for very little fans or no stands the entire season. I got engaged, and I played some of
the best football in my career." Fans went wild at the news. Although he never mentioned her by name,
everyone knew that he gave a shout-out to his "fiancee"; he was talking about Shailene.
"They are very happy together. "It's not surprising he proposed so fast.
When you know, you know, right?" An insider shared.
As it turned out, while the dating rumors only began at the beginning of 2021,
they had actually started dating around July 2020 during the international pandemic.
Shailene and the Packers quarterback secretly enjoyed a "private and low-key"
relationship devoid of the issues both had faced publicly in the past.
Shailene and Aaron had been keeping their engagement low-key for months.
The actress explained, "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.
And we didn't do it for months and months after we had become engaged."
For a while, they chose to "politely decline," talking about their relationship to the public
so that they could continue living in their own little private bubble.
During a Jimmy Fallon interview in 2021,
Woodley finally opened up and gushed about her relationship with Aaron,
"I never thought I'd be engaged with somebody who threw balls for a living,"
She also openly admitted that they had gotten engaged "a while ago,"
so it was news for everyone else, but for them, it wasn't such a big deal. She went on to say that
Aaron is just a "wonderful, incredible human being," and she even joked that her dog was
particularly excited about their relationship because of how fast he can throw balls.
"When I first met him, I think my dog, like, pulled me aside and was like,
'If you don't date this dude, I will disown you as my mother because the three feet that I run with
you when you throw a ball is nothing compared to the marathon I'm able to run with him.'"
They seemed like a match made in heaven,
and let's face it if her dog liked him so much, they were clearly perfect for each other.
Shailene gave a little more insight into their relationship in another interview.
She explained that because of the pandemic, they moved in together pretty soon after
they started dating, and it taught them both a lot about each other very quickly.
"We jumped in headfirst and got some of the sticky bits out of the way early."
She continued, "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."
And then, literally out of nowhere, in February of 2022,
it was confirmed that Shailene and Aaron had split after more than a year of dating.
"Shailene has been super busy with work," a source revealed at the time, noting that Rodgers
is always "focused" on football. "Everything was so different during the lockdown, and they had
been living in their bubble. Friends of Shailene didn't believe Aaron was the best match for her."
However, it seemed that rumors of the couple's breakup had already been
circulating two months before the split had officially been announced. Shailene did not
publicly acknowledge the quarterback's 38th birthday in December of 2021. Not only that,
but during Aaron's birthday celebrations, it seemed like Shailene was nowhere to be seen.
At the time, though, a source tried to brush it off and explained that the couple were
"still together" and were simply just "very private" about their "non-traditional" romance.
Before their confirmed split, the couple had remained relatively hush-hush about their
relationship over the last few months, but Shailene defended Aaron in November
after he faced criticism when he tested positive for COVID-19. It was revealed
that he was unvaccinated, despite claiming to be "immunized" three months earlier in August.
An insider revealed that Shailene was "standing by"
her man, and they were staying optimistic about their romance.
"As far as I know, they're still engaged and in love and looking forward to their wedding," the
insider said in November 2021. "I haven't heard about specific plans, other than it's still on,
but Shailene is notoriously private." The insider also noted that Shailene was
"keeping a low profile" during Aaron's "scandal."
Unfortunately, it seemed that the couple wasn't able to work through Aaron's scandal because of
"alternative health choices" and their divided opinions on the vaccination process. Combining
their difference of opinions, their manic work schedules, Aaron's focus on his football career,
and all their time apart, it turns out that things between the pair just weren't meant to be.
An insider shared, "While Shailene is supportive of Aaron's career,
he put football first, and they were barely spending any time together.
She felt he neglected their relationship. Neither of them was happy."
Thankfully, it seems like their breakup has been amicable. Another insider explained,
"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."
However, less than two weeks after news broke that the couple had broken up,
Aaron and Shailene were spotted together in Los Angeles,
spurring rumors that they had maybe gotten back together. But alas, it was not the case.
While they are definitely over, they're still remaining friends, and perhaps now that Aaron
is in the offseason, he has a little more downtime and can focus more on his personal life.
But that doesn't mean that they'll get back together. However, a source revealed that
"Shailene is understanding and open—she hasn't shut the door completely,
or she would've never agreed to meet up with him."
Whatever the case may be, their breakup is still pretty fresh,
so who knows what could happen in the future. We only wish the best for both
of them and that they're able to find happiness whatever they decide to do.