Aaron Rodgers Slams Family Over 'Stupid' Bachelorette Dinner Snub That Exposed Family Rift
Aaron Rodgers criticized his family for leaving him and then-girlfriend Olivia Munn out of a pivotal moment during the 2016 season of 'The Bachelorette.'
In the second episode of his Netflix docuseries, 'Aaron Rodgers: Enigma,' the New York Jets quarterback revisited the drama involving his younger brother Jordan Rodgers, who appeared on Season 12 of the reality show.
Jordan, then one of JoJo Fletcher's final suitors, brought Fletcher to his family's hometown in Chico, California, where two seats were intentionally left empty at the dinner table.
Read more: Aaron Rodgers Says Losing Friendships and Family Was 'Heartbreaking' Over His Unpopular Views
"And what do they do? They go on a bulls**t show and leave two empty chairs," Rodgers said during the episode. "They all agreed this was a good thing to do, to leave two empty chairs at a stupid dating show that my brother just went on to get famous — his words, not mine. That he ended up winning. But a dinner that was during the [football] season, I was never asked to go to. Not that I would've gone."
Rodgers shared that he was never particularly close with his family, though he was once "close" to Jordan. He explained the distance stemmed from issues dating back to high school, college, and the years following his NFL success.
Jordan addressed the estrangement during his appearance on 'The Bachelorette,' telling Fletcher, "I have a great relationship with my [older] brother, Luke. Me and Aaron don't really have much of a relationship. It's just kind of the way he's chosen to do life, and I chose to stay close with my family, my parents and my brother."
Their father, Ed Rodgers, added, "Fame can change you, but one thing I know about Jordan, he's so strong-willed and that's not going to change him in any way."
Though speculation surrounded Munn as the cause of Aaron's rift with his family, Rodgers rejected this claim, stating the issues are "deep-rooted" and began long before her involvement. "She had nothing to do with all the years before," Rodgers told author Ian O'Connor.
Jordan and Fletcher married in 2022, while Rodgers and Munn ended their relationship in 2017. Despite these milestones, Aaron's relationship with his family remains fractured.
'Aaron Rodgers: Enigma' is now streaming on Netflix.
