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Aaron Rodgers Reveals Why He Discussed His Sexuality in 2013 Interview: ‘I Was Upset’
Aaron Rodgers shared why he decided to speak out about his sexuality during a live interview more than a decade ago.
“I think I was upset with 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,” Aaron, 40, told Ian O’Connor in a conversation for the writer’s new biography, Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers. “And right before that, [Jason Wilde] and I actually have talked about this multiple times, and I said, ‘I want to go after them, the people saying this.’”
The professional athlete said he “could give a s–t” what people thought about him, adding, “But that they’re using this to shame, like it’s a bad thing to be gay. Like it’s a negative.” Aaron said those were the intentions he “wanted to after go” but it was the interviewer who suggested that he “just let it go and just say no.”
“I wish I had done the former because that’s how I really felt. 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.’”
The New York Jets quarterback wished he “would’ve handled it that way” and doesn’t blame Jason, noting they’ve “talked it out.”
Aaron addressed rumors about his sexuality during a 2013 episode of ESPN Milwaukee’s Tuesdays With Aaron, where he was interviewed by Jason. At the time, he called it “crazy rumors” that “swirled around from time to time that get silly.
“I’m just going to say I’m not gay. I really, really like women. That’s all I can say about that,” Aaron bluntly replied. “There’s always going to be silly stuff out there in the media, and you can’t worry too much about [it] and I don’t … I think there should be, professional is professional, and personal is personal. And that’s just how I’m going to keep it.”
Aaron has been giving new insights into his life in O’Connor’s new book, which was released on August 20. In the pages, the story is told from multiple angles — including the point of view of Aaron, his friends and his parents.
The NFL player opened up on his estrangement from his family and denied that ex-girlfriend and actress Olivia Munn played a part in the divide. Meanwhile, other sources in the book say that the New Girl actress, 44, forbade Aaron’s parents, Ed and Darla, to attend football games and went as far as sending back Christmas presents.
Aaron also spoke out about how he didn’t like how his family continued to publicly discuss their fallout.
“I have questions about why they feel the need to talk about it because it’s like a game of poker,” Aaron recounted to the author. “When you are holding all the cards, you don’t have to bluff. There’s nothing they can say other than make up stories but look at the facts.”
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