How Splitting With Aaron Rodgers Affected Shailene Woodley

"Divergent" star Shailene Woodley is someone who wears her heart on her sleeve, and she's made it pretty clear that her split from NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers played a role in breaking that heart. Woodley and Rodgers went public with their romance in early 2021, announcing just a short while after, in February, that they were engaged. Just one year later, however, the sad relationship news came out that Woodley and Rodgers had called things off. "I had a really awful, traumatic thing happen in early 2022," the actor admitted to Outside in late 2024. "I felt like I lost my soul, my self, my happiness, my joy." 

Woodley also acknowledged that her tendency to empathize with others had kept her trapped in what she termed a "toxic situation." Though the "Dumb Money" star didn't specifically mention her breakup, the timeline of events lines up. Moreover, elsewhere in the interview, she notably had this to say: "I haven't shared much about my relationship with Aaron because it always makes me cry. It was not right. But it was beautiful."

The actor also offered some possible hints as to why their romance ultimately ended during a chat with Bustle that very same year. "I give all of myself," she shared. Without naming any names, Woodley continued, "I used to be a person who, if you crossed me and disrespected that, would continue to give and give. And now you cross me, I respectfully go, 'Thank you so much for that information. Have a beautiful life. I wish you well.' Not interested."

During her interview with Outside, Shailene Woodley elaborated on what her mental state was like in early 2022, acknowledging, "I really understood depression and anxiety and, like, complete soul detachment." The "Fault in Our Stars" star detailed how the funk she was in lasted for around half the year, and it was stylist Kris Zero — a good friend of hers — who helped to pull Woodley out of it. "Sometimes I was so angry at her," she confessed. "But then we'd go surf, and for ten minutes that day I thought life could be OK again." 

In fact, every time the actor started to feel down, Zero would be there to encourage her to get involved in another activity, from hiking to cleaning up trash and volunteering at a horse ranch. Woodley's ex-fiancé largely appears to have moved on as well. Aaron Rodgers even entered a new relationship with Mallory Edens in 2023. However, the quarterback has also repeatedly found himself embroiled in controversy following his breakup with the "Divergent" star, including when he was forced to walk back inflammatory comments he made about late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

Although she hasn't publicly said anything about Rodgers' dodgier moments, it's safe to say that Woodley is probably relieved to be focusing on herself nowadays — with good friends like Zero backing her all the way.