- Danica Patrick is the most successful woman in American race car driving history
- She became the first female to win an IndyCar Race Series after her victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300
- The international star has dated famous men like football icon Aaron Rodgers
Danica Patrick gave an update on her health after revealing she had her breast implants removed in October 2022. The superstar race car driver took to her Instagram in March 2023 to let her fans know she is right on track to being herself again. Good news for fans, as the Wisconsin native is one of the most recognized sports heroines in the world and her well-being is clearly on top of their list.
During her illustrious career, Danica gave generations of little girls a revolutionary role model by becoming the most successful woman in American racing history. She topped off her groundbreaking run as the first female to win an IndyCar Race Series after her victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300.
While she enjoys her incredible legacy, Danica’s love life continues to be in the spotlight, and she certainly isn’t shy on speaking about it either. “I think we learn the most about ourselves through relationships,” she said on Running Wild With Bear Grylls. “But there’s nothing like heartbreak to really throw you in the deep end of that.”
With some heartbreak in her past, Danica also said she knows what she wants now in a partner. “It’s not necessarily that they have their work cut out for him but that they’re going to be an extremely high-quality person with a lot of boxes to check,” she told Tamron Hall in March 2021. “It’s not as though there are boxes to check, it’s just that I know what I want now and I’m not willing to compromise [or] bend as much.”
Let’s find out more about the men who have been romantically involved with Danica. Keep reading to learn more, below.
Paul Edward Hospenthal
Danica’s first big romance unfolded like a movie. After she injured herself during a yoga session in 2002, the beauty sought help from a physical therapist. Yes, you guessed it: the physical therapist was Paul Edward Hospenthal! The couple were solid for many years, until they weren’t, unfortunately. They ended up divorcing in 2013.
However, Danica didn’t swear off marriage after the split. “I mean, I love love,” she joked to US Weekly. “If anyone wants to invite me to a wedding, I’ll go because I love weddings. They’re the best events ever.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was definitely in Danica’s orbit as he is a NASCAR star, but it’s unclear when they first started dating, as it happened rather quickly after her divorce. The romance was hot and heavy and lasted for five years. “The relationship has really evolved into this really comfortable space where we’re … just really happy,” Danica said in her self-titled 2017 documentary. “It’s really straightforward and simple. And we don’t argue.”
The stars were close enough to walking down the aisle that Danica even commented on their family planning. “I don’t think social services would feel good about me driving 200 miles an hour with a baby in my belly,” she joked to USA Today.
Aaron Rodgers
Danica and the famous football-playing, serial-dating Aaron Rodgers initially met at the 2012 ESPY Awards but didn’t start dating until January 2018. At the time, she sounded head over heels for the NFL icon when she told US Weekly, “You can rely on yourself or you can also rely on those closest to you that are honest, not people that want to tell you what you want to hear, but people that are gonna tell you what you need to hear and be honest with you.”
The romance proved to be short lived, as they sadly split in July 2020. “At the beginning of the last relationship. I was like, ‘Look. You either grow together; one grows and one doesn’t; or you grow apart,’” she explained on The Rachel Hollis Show at the time of their breakup. “I have never experienced growth without pain.”
She also talked about the split on Running Wild With Bear Grylls. “I’ve learned a lot and as broken open as I was on the sad end, I have felt so much joy in so many more instances and so many more unlikely places than I ever have, so it’s like my heart got broken open to both ends of the spectrum.”
Carter Comstock
After the split with quarterback, the “Pretty Intense” podcast host sparked up a romance with Carter Comstock. Danica was set up with the Freshly Co-Founder and CIO by the co-founders of a company Danica and Carter invest in. The set up worked and by April 2021, the couple were Instagram official.
After a year, however, they went their separate ways. “We were together for a while, and unfortunately it didn’t work, but it doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a really fun time and we didn’t do a lot of really amazing things,” she told People in March 2022. “It doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with either of us,” she adds. “It’s just a matter of finding someone who you can stand the test of time with.”