Shailene Woodley Hinted at Why She and Aaron Rodgers Split in Rare Comments About Her Personal Life

“I used to be a person who, if you crossed me and disrespected that, would continue to give and give."

Shailene Woodley wearing a black turtleneck sweater while speaking onstage during TIME Women of the Year 2024
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Shailene Woodley recently opened up about how heartbreak has shaped the person she is today—leading to speculation that the heartbreak in question might be a reference to her high-profile split from her ex-fiancé, NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

In a new interview with Bustle to promote her movie Three Women, the 32-year-old actress reportedly described a "disinterest in pretense" that she told the outlet was the result of "a broken heart." Woodley added that she's not the same person post-heartbreak.

“I give all of myself,” the actress explained. “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.”

Woodley didn't give any details about the person involved in her life-changing heartbreak, but speculation quickly pointed to Rodgers. The pair were first linked in summer of 2020 before getting engaged in February 2021 and ultimately splitting a year later in February 2022.

Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley look in love in an Instagram picture taken during their relationship.

Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley look in love in an Instagram picture taken during their relationship.

(Image credit: Instagram / aaronrodgers12)

“I love easy and I care easy, but I do not love lightly, and I do not care lightly," she said. "It’s really taken me a lot of time to understand that it’s not on me to fix or heal or do anything about [a relationship] other than protect the deep care and love that I have for the world and for my people."

Heartbreak may have changed Woodley, but she seems focused on the way those changes have been for the better.

“Ultimately, that has helped me walk away without the need to understand why certain things didn’t play out the way that I may have desired them to," she added.

Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.