Too fast? Shailene Woodley and now-ex-fiancé Aaron Rodgers “rushed into an engagement way too early,” a source exclusively tells In Touch.
“The physical chemistry was there, no doubt about it, but the more time passed, the more they realized their differences,” the insider adds. “Shailene and Aaron thought knew each other but they didn’t really.”
In Touch broke the news that the Divergent star, 30, and the Green Bay Packers quarterback, 38, split one year after he announced she was his fiancé while accepting the Most Valuable Player award at the 10th Annual NFL Honors.
“I got engaged and I played some of the best football in my career,” Aaron said in February 2021, whereas the Big Little Lies actress opened up about their romance later that month in an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
“We met during this whacky, whacky time and all the stadiums were closed that he was playing in,” Shailene recalled. “I didn’t really grow up with sports, especially American sports. It was never really on my radar. When we met, also, I knew he was a football guy, but I didn’t know like what kind of a football guy he was. And I’m still constantly learning.”
In November 2021, the couple found themselves in a scandal when the QB tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted he had never received the vaccine despite claiming he was “immunized” three months prior. While the pair initially remained quiet amid the backlash, Shailene defended Aaron by telling fans to “calm the f—k down” in an Instagram Story, which featured a photo that some thought was him.
“This is straight up HILAROUS,” she wrote that month, before adding that others were “grasping at straws to disparage Aaron” and “finding random f—king men on the streets of L.A. and saying it’s [Aaron].”
Despite her epic defense for her man, the two sparked breakup rumors one month later. However, it wasn’t until February 2022 when multiple sources confirmed to In Touch that they had, indeed, went their separate ways.
“While Shailene is supportive of Aaron’s career, he put football first and they were barely spending any time together,” one source said on Wednesday, February 16. “She felt he neglected their relationship. Neither of them was happy.”
The insider also added the football star “got cold feet” at the thought of their upcoming wedding, whereas a second source claimed they just “couldn’t make it work.”
“There were too many obstacles,” the other insider noted. “They’re both adults and decided to part amicably.”