"It Was Not Right": Shailene Woodley Broke Her Silence About The Aaron Rodgers Breakup

It might seem like forever ago, but you probably remember when Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers broke up back in early 2022.

Shailene Woodley  smiling in a dark, patterned suit, standing in front of a leafy background
Shailene Woodley smiling in a dark, patterned suit, standing in front of a leafy background
Aaron Rodgers  in a football uniform stands on a field, looking ahead with a focused expression
Aaron Rodgers in a football uniform stands on a field, looking ahead with a focused expression

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Now, it's worth noting here that, during their relationship, Shailene and Aaron were fairly private about their relationship. I mean, they were friggin' engaged at one point, and yet they weren't really ever photographed together publicly all that much.

Shailen smiling, wearing casual jacket, holding a Miu Miu bag. Others are nearby
Shailen smiling, wearing casual jacket, holding a Miu Miu bag. Others are nearby
Aaron in sunglasses and a baseball cap smiling at an outdoor event, wearing a dark jacket
Aaron in sunglasses and a baseball cap smiling at an outdoor event, wearing a dark jacket

Eakin Howard / Getty Images

Aaron was very public about his feelings post-breakup, going so far as to issue a public thanks and an apology to her — but Shailene has mostly remained silent on the matter. She made some oblique comments about dating someone "famous" the following year, but that was about it.

Shailene Woodley with long wavy hair smiles at an event, wearing an elegant, form-fitting dress
Gilbert Carrasquillo / GC Images

So it comes as a bit of a surprise that, in a recent interview with Outside, she directly addressed the breakup — as well as why she doesn't really like talking about the breakup directly.

Shailene Woodley smiling, wearing a short-sleeve, fitted dress and holding a large handbag
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“I haven’t shared much about my relationship with Aaron because it always makes me cry," she told the publication.

A person with short hair and facial hair, wearing a patterned hoodie, looking into the distance

The writer indicated that, while Shailene spoke, her eyes started to well up a bit.

Cooper Neill / Getty Images

"It was not right," she added, possibly regarding the relationship as a whole — or the breakup specifically. "But it was beautiful."

Shailene Woodley wearing a cozy turtleneck sweater, smiling at a public event
Gilbert Carrasquillo / GC Images

In another portion of the profile, Shailene referenced an "awful, traumatic thing" she experienced in early 2022 — again, around the same time she broke up with Aaron. Is it the breakup specifically she's referring to? Maybe so, maybe not.

Shailene Woodley on a red carpet in an elegant, strapless black lace dress, smiling confidently. Background features branding for "Three Women" and "Starz."
Manoli Figetakis / Getty Images

“I felt like I lost my soul, my self, my happiness, my joy," she recalled. "I really understood depression and anxiety and, like, complete soul detachment.”

Shailene Woodley in patterned outfit with a leather jacket and handbag, smiling outdoors
Raymond Hall / GC Images

“I knew I was depressed when I looked at a tree and felt nothing. That was the lowest low of my life.”

Shailene Woodley in a black sleeveless dress on a red carpet at an awards event
Alberto Rodriguez / Variety via Getty Images

Shailene also said that her friend, stylist Kris Zero, eventually helped her through the period of depression, which lasted around six months. “Sometimes I was so angry at her," she recalled. "But then we’d go surf, and for ten minutes that day I thought life could be OK again."

Person on the red carpet in a light green suit with a white cut-out top, attending a "Hope in the Water" event
Corine Solberg / Getty Images

"Then the depression would come back and she’d go, ‘We’re volunteering at the horse ranch!’ And we’d find a random fucking horse ranch, and we’d clean up horse shit. We’d clean hooves and brush the horses, and for 20 minutes that day I thought life could be OK again."

Shailene Woodley smiling at an event, wearing a shiny, long-sleeved outfit
Jesse Grant / Getty Images for the Environmental Media Association

"And then the depression came back and she’d wake me up the next morning and go, ‘Let’s go on a hike and bring trash bags and clean up trash!’”

Shailene Woodley in formal attire with long hair smiling at a media event, standing against a backdrop with text
Gilbert Flores / Variety via Getty Images

Well, it's a good thing she had a good friend to get her through that period of time. And her experience is also a reminder that, if you're not feeling right, it's always worth talking to someone you trust about it, too.

Read the entire profile here.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1-800-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services; GoodTherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.