Aaron Rodgers. Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
As Aaron Rodgers remains estranged from several family members, fans are learning more about his fractured relationship with parents Ed and Darla Rodgers.
In the Netflix docuseries, Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, the NFL quarterback recalled his childhood and the decision to rebel against his Christian upbringing.
“I grew up in a very white, dogmatic church and that just didn’t really serve me,” Aaron told Netflix cameras. “It was very rigid in structure [and] I’m not a rigid person. Shame, guilt, judgment — it was like, ‘We have the truth, our way or the highway. Our way is heaven, your way is hell.’”
When talking to his parents, Aaron said things were “very black and white.”
Courtesy of Netflix After nearly two decades in the NFL — which has brought as much controversy off the field than on — Aaron Rodgers has finally decided to tell his story in his own words. In the three-part Netflix docuseries Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, which premiered Tuesday, December 17, Rodgers, 41, traced his life and […]
“Like, somebody has to be wrong [and] somebody has to be right,” he continued. “I just slowly uncoupled from that in high school.”
While Darla has not publicly commented on the distance between her and Aaron, Ed briefly discussed his son in an interview with The New York Times.
“It’s complicated,” Ed told the publication in January 2017. “We’re all hoping for the best.”
Like many family dynamics, there isn’t just one reason why Aaron distanced himself from his parents. Keep reading to see what may have contributed to their decade-long estrangement.
Jordan Rodgers and his family are estranged from his brother Aaron Rodgers, with both sides offering insight into their difficult relationship over the years. Although the origin of their falling out is unclear, many factors have contributed to Jordan and Aaron’s ongoing tension, which was first made public in 2016 on JoJo Fletcher’s season of […]
How Did Aaron Rodgers’ Childhood Affect His Adulthood?
In Enigma, Aaron said he believed that his parents “felt like I was a little soft.” As a result, “I made sure I was the toughest motherf—er that I knew.”
He later added that he’s “thankful” for his parents thinking he was “soft growing up” because it allowed him to push forward, especially in the wake of various football injuries.
“I think I saw my dad cry when my grandfather passed,” he said when recalling his childhood. “And that might have been it. There wasn’t space for emotion. So, I definitely had some stunted emotional intelligence to communicate those emotions, for sure.”
How Did Aaron Rodgers’ NFL Fame Impact His Family?
“There were a lot of times, when I became real famous, where I heard from a lot of people, including family members, where it was like, ‘Your life is too big, we need you to be smaller. Be smaller, don’t talk about your life,’” Aaron said in Enigma. “It always hurt, me because I just feel like you don’t see me. This is not something I ever desired or wanted, other than playing on Sundays.”
Aaron said he felt misunderstood and admitted that relationships changed after his position in the NFL rose. “It can definitely change the people around your circle because it can be intoxicating, the fame and notoriety,” he explained.
Did Aaron Rodgers’ Ex-Girlfriend Olivia Munn Play a Role in the Estrangement?
Although Ed and Darla have suggested Aaron’s former girlfriend, Olivia Munn, may be responsible for causing a wedge in the family, the quarterback and his ex deny the claims.
“He hadn’t spoken to the parents and one brother for, like, eight months before we started dating,” Munn — who dated Aaron from 2014 to 2017 — said on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in 2018.
Aaron also stated to biographer Ian O’Connor — who wrote the 2024 book Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers — that his issues with his family were “deep rooted” and Olivia “has nothing to do with all the years” they haven’t spoken.
Since Aaron Rodgers made his NFL debut in 2005, his exploits off the field have made nearly as many headlines as his athletic achievements. Consider, for example, the “darkness retreat” he went on in 2023 while considering whether he wanted to retire from football entirely or simply leave the Green Bay Packers. “I’m still in […]
How Did ‘The Bachelorette’ Disappoint Aaron Rodgers?
In 2016, Aaron’s brother, Jordan Rodgers, was a contestant on JoJo Fletcher’s season of The Bachelorette. During hometown visits, Aaron was noticeably missing as producers left two empty chairs for Aaron and his then-girlfriend, Munn. The situation left Aaron disappointed.
“I thought the best way to do it was just don’t talk about it publicly,” he said. “And what do they do? They go on a bulls— show and leave two empty chairs. They all agreed this was a good thing to do, to leave two empty chairs at a stupid dating show that my brother just went on to get famous — his words, not mine. That he ended up winning. But a dinner that was during the season, I was never asked to go to. Not that I would’ve gone.”
All three episodes of Aaron Rodgers: Enigma are currently streaming on Netflix.
