“It wore me down to nothing”: Danica Patrick gets brutally honest about her ‘emotionally abusive’ relationship with NFL icon Aaron Rodgers

Danica Patrick says her breakup with NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers was the most painful experience of her life. The former NASCAR and IndyCar driver opened up during a recent episode of ‘The Sage Steele Show,’ calling their relationship “emotionally abusive” and saying it left her feeling broken and without confidence.

Danica Patrick and Aaron Rodgers dated from early 2018 until July 2020. They had met years earlier at the 2012 ESPY Awards but didn’t begin a relationship until much later. While together, they shared a $28 million home in Malibu and connected over wellness and spirituality.

Despite that shared bond, Patrick says she felt lonely throughout the relationship. When asked to describe the most painful experience of her life, Patrick said:

"The breakup with Aaron in 2020, because it was sudden, it was my life. Like you know, when you live with somebody and it's your whole life... And because the nature of the relationship was emotionally abusive, so that like wore me down to nothing. Someone that people could never imagine that I would lack complete confidence or belief in the simple things about who I am." (34:10 onwards)

"Like everything was torn to bits, and yeah, he leaves a trail of blood. I don't think I'm saying too much earthshattering stuff after we've, you know, there's been enough out there, especially recently. But it gave me the greatest gift, right? Which was myself... I was like 'Wow.' It gave me the greatest gift of how much I needed to show up for myself and take care of myself," Patrick added.

She also explained that she held on to the relationship for as long as she could. She mentioned it’s in her nature to keep trying, but she has no regrets about how it ended. Interestingly, Rodgers has also spoken publicly about their time together, but in a much different tone.

In a 2022 podcast interview, he said their relationship was a positive experience and credited their time together for helping him explore spirituality and mindfulness.

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Danica Patrick made a fashion statement at the Indy 500

Danica Patrick turned heads at the 109th Indianapolis 500 with a bold black and white off-the-shoulder dress. The dress, inspired by the checkered flag, made her stand out during Sunday’s race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 25.

Patrick, 43, returned to the track as part of Fox Sports’ coverage team for its first-ever broadcast of the Indy 500. She retired from racing in 2018 but remains the only woman ever to win a race in the IndyCar Series. Danica Patrick shared photos of her outfit on Instagram, writing:

“Since I was behind a desk for the broadcast yesterday.... 🖤🤍”

She co-hosted the pre-race and post-race coverage with Chris Myers and Tony Stewart, both of whom also have racing backgrounds. Patrick’s family, including her sister Brooke and their parents, joined her at the race.

On the track, Alex Palou captured his first Indy 500 victory by edging out Marcus Ericsson in a close finish. Palou has been dominant this season, having won five of the first six races.