Aaron Rodgers Says He Was 'Upset' Over Gay Rumors, 'Disrespectful' To LGBTQ Community | TMZ Live
Aaron Rodgers is opening up on his decision more than a decade ago to set the record straight on his sexuality ... saying he was frustrated the rumor was "meant to shame the idea of being gay."
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00:00Aaron Rodgers wants to reframe a rumor, a rumor that has been whispered about him for
00:07more than a decade now, but it is interesting how he is addressing this now and why he's
00:14addressing it.
00:15We told you that there is a book, a new book out by sports journalist Ian O'Connor, it's
00:19called Out of the Darkness, the Mystery of Aaron Rodgers.
00:23In the book, he talks about the rumors that he is gay.
00:26The way he is addressing it, it's clear that he feels that he was misunderstood when he
00:32addressed it, what was it, 2013?
00:342013, he used to do a radio spot, he was on the Packers with ESPN radio and they asked
00:38him about the rumor.
00:39Right.
00:40And I think he feels he was misunderstood.
00:42So here's what he says in the book.
00:43I think I was upset at the framing of the rumor because it was meant to shame the idea
00:48of being gay.
00:49And I have so many friends that are gay in the community.
00:53Not in relation to me, because I could give a blank what they thought about me, but that
00:58they're using this to shame, like it's a bad thing to be gay, like it's a negative.
01:03So his point is, he just didn't like the way, and I don't remember how the question was
01:09posed to him, but he clearly felt like the people who were saying it were taking a pejorative.
01:15I think he wants to make it clear, hey, I wasn't denying this thing that people were
01:18saying about me because I think it's bad, it's because I think you're trying to use
01:22it to shame me.
01:23And I like a lot of people in the community, and I have friends.
01:26And the host at the time on the show in 2013 was saying it like, oh, there's a lot of silly
01:30stuff going on about you and everything.
01:32And Rogers just came out and said, look, I'm not gay.
01:35I really, really like women.
01:38And a year after-
01:39See, that's the part that made people feel, now I do remember this, when he said, I really,
01:44really like women.
01:45Really, really like women.
01:46Right, because it didn't really sound real.
01:48You know?
01:50That's not something that people would say, but that's what made it feel like he was saying,
01:55like, oh, I would never be gay.
01:57What are you talking about?
01:58Me?
01:59Right, right.
02:00And then a year later, he dates Olivia Munn.
02:01They date for a few years, and then he goes to Danica Patrick, and then he goes and gets
02:04engaged to Shailene Woodley.
02:05I mean, this guy has been connected to women throughout his entire career, but he's making
02:09the point that they don't think that I'm actually gay.
02:12They want to make fun of me, or they want to have insults directed at me.
02:17And he's like, this is not the way to go about it.
02:19Say whatever you want about me.
02:21Call me a conspiracy theorist or whatever, but this is where I draw the line.
02:24Because he is that.
02:25Right.
02:26Guilty as charged.
02:27Right.
02:28Yeah, he is.
02:29Very good point.
02:30He's not denying that.
02:31Right.
02:32That's interesting.
02:33Interesting take.
02:34I had never heard him be a champion of the gay community before.
02:37I've really never heard him, even outside of that question, speak about this issue before.
02:40Right.
02:41Didn't know it was something he cared about.
02:42I will say, this book is really something.
02:44It's an unauthorized biography, but it's got interviews with Rogers.
02:47And this is a guy who hasn't really put his private life out there, aside from what he's
02:52really had to.
02:53And it also goes into things about his relationships with his family, and his parents, and everything
02:58that happened with Olivia Munn.
02:59So I'm going to be checking it out.
03:01See, I actually like it better when it's an unauthorized biography and they actually do
03:05speak to him.
03:06Yeah.
03:07Because if it's authorized, then you speak to him.
03:09Then it's like, oh, they're in on it, and so they're going to have a hand in the editing.
03:14Right.
03:15If it's unauthorized, that's basically saying, this guy's going to write, see the story however
03:19he sees it.
03:20Right.
03:21There's a lot of questions, a lot of interest and curiosity in Aaron Rogers.
03:23Yeah.
03:24Hello, my name's Trisha Green, and I'm from Monroe, Georgia.
03:27And from listening to the topic at hand, I hate it for Aaron Rogers.
03:31I've been watching him for years, playing football.
03:33He's one of my favorite quarterbacks, even though he doesn't play for my team.
03:37I've been watching him for years.
03:39I'm a big racing fan.
03:40I remember the Danica relationship.
03:45I've also heard him criticized on many other aspects of his life, on how he carries himself.
03:52I think this is just a new avenue to come at him, and unfortunately, this is a topic
04:00that we should be beyond.
04:02We should not be judging people upon their sexual preference, in my personal opinion.
04:08Well, and that's his point, too, is like, you know, don't put that on me because clearly
04:14that's how you feel, but clearing the record.
04:17Excellent.