A surprise romance has emerged between Big Little Lies star Shailene Woodley, 29, and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 37, a new report claimed on Feb. 2. “They have kept things private and low key,” a source told E! News, which claimed that the two stars have “taken on a long distance relationship” with one another. HollywoodLife has reached out to Shailene’s and Aaron’s reps for comment.
This alleged relationship has been long distance because Aaron has been in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to stay “very focused on his season” in the NFL, the source explained. That season came to a close, though, when Aaron’s Packers team lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 24 (the latter is now advancing to the Super Bowl LV). Shailene has been just as busy; she’s in the Canadian city of Montreal to film her serial killer thriller Misanthrope, directed by Damián Szifron, according to E! News.
Despite their very different work locations and schedules, Shailene and Aaron “have seen each other and been in touch,” the report added. “They continue to talk and see each other when they can. They are both focused on their careers but they also make time for each other.” The relationship report came as a surprise to fans; Shailene and Aaaron aren’t even following one another on Instagram.
Aaron Rodgers with his ex, Danica Patrick, in July of 2018. (Courtesy of Instagram/@aaronrodgers12)
Aaron’s last high-profile romance was with NASCAR race car driver Danica Patrick, 38; after two years of dating, Danica’s rep confirmed with HollywoodLife that they’re “no longer together” in July of 2020. Meanwhile, Shailene’s last public relationship was with rugby star Ben Volavola, 30, whom she was first romantically linked to in 2017. However, Shailene had realized while filming her film Endings, Beginnings (which premiered in Sept. 2019) that she wasn’t ready for such a serious commitment.
“I was in a relationship with someone and we were very much on the road to marriage and children. I realized I was still at an age where I wasn’t able to fully commit,” Shailene revealed in an interview with Bustle, which was published in April of 2020. She added, I couldn’t be available to him in the way that I wanted to be. I didn’t fully love myself.”