Aaron Rodgers' Family 'Dismayed' Over Danica Patrick Interview
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is arguably best known for his impressive athleticism, but in recent years, he has gained notoriety for his personal drama too. It all started when Aaron began dating actor Olivia Munn in 2014, expanding his fame into Hollywood circles and attracting a new legion of fans. It was also during this time that rumors surfaced about a feud between Aaron and his family, including his two brothers, Jordan and Luke Rodgers.
Jordan touched on the tension while vying for JoJo Fletcher's heart on Season 12 of The Bachelorette, revealing, "I miss my brother a lot. Especially in moments like this because my family means so much." Aaron said Jordan's comments were "inappropriate," and Munn elaborated on the situation after the couple split in 2017. "There's a lot of complications," The Predator star told Bravo exec Andy Cohen in May 2018. "I don't think either side of the road is clean, but I do think it's not OK if you try to stand on someone's shoulders, then throw dirt in their face, that's what I think."
What's the latest in this family saga? Aaron's loved ones are allegedly upset about a December 2019 interview he conducted with his current girlfriend, former race car driver Danica Patrick. During that convo, Aaron shares his honest opinion on religion. Considering the NFL star's fam is supposedly very religious, you can only imagine that other members of the Rodgers tribe were none too pleased with his straightforward comments.
Aaron Rodgers got real about religion
Danica Patrick launched her first podcast, Pretty Intense, in August 2019. And boy, has the project lived up to its name thanks to a painfully honest interview with Aaron Rodgers about religion. Aaron, who grew up in a Christian household, explained to Patrick during a December 2019 episode, "Most people that I knew, church was just...you just had to go." The athlete then shared his thoughts on what he believes to be a contradiction about believing in a higher power, adding, "I don't know how you can believe in a God who wants to condemn most of the planet to a fiery hell. What type of loving, sensitive, omnipresent, omnipotent being wants to condemn his beautiful creation to a fiery hell at the end of all this?"
But wait — Aaron didn't stop there, continuing, "Religion can be a crutch. It can be something that people have to have to make themselves feel better. Because it's set up binary, it's us and them, saved and unsaved, heaven and hell, it's enlightened and heathen, it's holy and righteous...that makes a lot of people feel better about themselves."
The football star's family hasn't publicly commented on the episode, although a source shed light on their supposed feelings. "They were dismayed," an insider told People. "To them, his comments are basically a slap in the face to the fundamentals of who they are."
Aaron Rodgers has challenged religion before
Aaron Rodgers is a relatively private person, but from time to time, he opens up about his background and evolution as a person.
"I think in people's lives who grew up in some sort of organized religion, there really comes a time when you start to question things more," the Green Bay Packers star told ESPN in 2017. "It happens for some at an early age; others, you know, maybe a little older." The quarterback talked about what that experience was like for him. "I remember asking a question as a young person about somebody in a remote rainforest. Because the words that I got were: 'If you don't confess your sins, then you're going to hell.' And I said, 'What about the people who don't have a Bible readily accessible?'"
According to ESPN, Rodgers' questions about his faith continued to grow. "Over time, as he read more, Rodgers grew increasingly convinced that the beliefs he had internalized growing up were wrong, that spirituality could be far more inclusive and less literal than he had been taught," the magazine reported.
Will Aaron Rodgers attend his brother's wedding?
As #BachelorNation fans already know, Jordan Rodgers "won" JoJo Fletcher's season of The Bachelorette and now the two reality stars are engaged. The wedding will take place in spring or summer 2020, and the couple is already in planning mode. One area of concern? Invites. Fletcher said Jordan has been dragging his feet.
"I said, 'You better give me your guest list in the next one to two weeks or we're going to have problems," she joked to People. "I'm starting to get you know my ducks in a row, but you know a lot of vendors, a lot of people want to know how many people you're going to have, [so I'm] really waiting on him."
Hmm... is it possible Jordan is holding back because he's unsure about Aaron? Jordan previously told People, "There's no scenario in which I wouldn't want my entire family at a wedding, so absolutely, that's something all of our family wants and hopes for at some point." That sounds nice, but it's worth noting that when brother Luke Rodgers got married in April 2019, Jordan served as his best man but Aaron's attendance was a great big question mark.
Bottom line? This is a complicated feud, and we can't imagine this snafu about religion has helped the situation.