Aaron Rodgers Says Rumors About His Sexuality Were 'Disrespectful' To LGBTQ Community

Aaron Rodgers is commenting on the need to address the rumors about his sexuality which circulated in 2013.

For those who might not know, the New York Jets quarterback revealed in a Milwaukee radio interview from over a decade ago that he felt pressured to address speculation about his sexuality during the early stages of his NFL career.

Over a decade later, Aaron Rodgers is once again speaking on that decision, elaborating on why he feels the situation is “disrespectful” to the LGBTQIA+ community.

The New York Jets quarterback made headlines in 2013 when he boldly declared he "really, really" liked women amid rumors about his dating life during his Green Bay Packers days.

Over a decade later, he is doubling down on the rumors, expressing why it bothered him so much.

“I think I was upset at the framing [of the rumor] because it was meant to shame the idea of being gay, and I have so many friends that are gay in the community,” the NFL star recently told author Ian O’Connor for his new biography, “Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers,” which is out now.

"I'm like, 'Say anything you want about me, but do you understand these people are using this to shame the idea of being gay?'" he continued. "That's just disrespectful to all my friends who are in the community who don't believe that it's a choice. They were making it seem like you’re shaming people for being gay, when a lot of them, if you ask them, they didn’t ask for this life. 'This is who I am.'"

Aaron Rodgers has had a string of high-profile relationships throughout his career, including with Olivia Munn, Danica Patrick, and Shailene Woodley, whom he was engaged to until their split in 2022.

Earlier this year, a source told People Magazine that Rodgers began dating model and the daughter of one of the Milwaukee Bucks' primary owners, Mallory Edens, but it is unclear if the two are still together.

While it is unclear he if he is dating someone, Aaron Rodgers recently opened up about his journey of self-love, which he calls a “core tenet” of mental health.

The NFL star credits psychedelic ayahuasca for helping him achieve a deeper level of self-acceptance. According to Rodgers, this newfound self-love has made him a better player and person, both on and off the field.

"That's what ayahuasca did for me, was help me see how to unconditionally love myself. It's only in that unconditional self-love, that then I'm able to truly be able to unconditionally love others. And what better way to work on my mental health than to have an experience like that?" Rodgers said on the Aubrey Marcus Podcast, per People.

The NFL quarterback weighed in on training camp strategies, noting that there are “a lot of different schools of thought” on how intense to be when practicing.

"I would say the camp is much harder this year and maybe the hardest in the last seven or eight of my career," Rodgers told reporters, per ESPN, earlier this week before noting that he is impressed with how Jets coach Robert Saleh is tackling the season.

"Some of the older players are enjoying the -- to steal a coaching word -- the 'callus' part of training camp, where you're grinding," Rodgers continued. "Some people believe that, although it puts more strain on you in training camp, it actually gets you more ready to play when the season starts.

"And some people believe the opposite. You know how it goes: Whatever teams are having success, people kind of look at their schedule and go, 'Let's do that,'" the NFL player said.

Following his injury last year, which occurred just a few plays into his debut with the New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers says he is fully recovered and feels good about his current health.

"I feel good about where I am with my body and what I've put together," he said. "I feel like I've done different things throughout camp as far as the rollouts, roll out and pulling up, getting out of the pocket and making plays, going back across my body, pump-faking and extending plays and getting some yards. I feel like I've done a lot."

Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett did note that Rodgers is "a little bit older, so he has lost a little bit of the speed he used to have."