In a new Netflix docuseries about Aaron Rodgers, the NFL quarterback laments how fame impacted his life and says the women he dated throughout his career contributed to his celebrity.
PEOPLE previewed Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, which begins streaming today, and its three installments largely focus on Rodgers’ career trajectory and his recent controversies — including his misleading and at-times false statements about vaccines and floating conspiracy theories.
During the second episode of the series, Rodgers, 41, says he "hated" the notoriety that came with winning the Super Bowl in 2010, doing State Farm commercials and winning his first NFL MVP Award in 2011.
“I always find it interesting when people say, in reference to the off-the-field attention, ‘Well, this is what you signed up for,’ “ Rodgers says, as the documentary shows clips of him meeting former President Barack Obama at the White House after winning Super Bowl XLV, appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman and waving to a crowd in a parade at Disney World.
“I say f--- that, I never signed up for that,” Rodgers contends. “I signed up for football because I love the game and I got great at it because I’m hyper-competitive and super-motivated. But there’s this whole other part that comes with it that’s a lot of great stuff and a lot of f---ing weird stuff.”
Rodgers also discusses his reaction to having paparazzi follow him from that point on in his career.
“I didn’t do myself any favors with some of the girls I dated after that that were in the public eye,” he says, as images of his former girlfriends Olivia Munn and Danica Patrick, as well as his ex-fiancée Shailene Woodley, flash on the screen.
“I definitely hated it at first – like, really despised it,” Rodgers says about fame. “I enjoyed my private life. I enjoyed being able to go places. But from Super Bowl MVP, MVP, State Farm commercials, that got a little bit more difficult.”
Rodgers dated Munn, 44, from 2014 until the couple split in 2017. The former Green Bay Packers quarterback then began dating Patrick, the 42-year-old retired NASCAR star, from 2018 until they called it quits in 2020. Rodgers began dating Woodley, 33, in late 2020 before the couple announced their engagement in 2021. But Rodgers and Woodley called off their plans to marry a year later.
PEOPLE reported at the time that Rodgers and Woodley had an “amicable” split, while the NFL star later took to Instagram to “thank” the Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated actress for their time together.
Woodley opened up about the couple’s breakup earlier this month when she told Outside magazine: “I haven’t shared much about my relationship with Aaron because it always makes me cry.”
"It was not right,” Woodley added. “But it was beautiful.”
