New book makes claim about reason for rift between Aaron Rodgers and his family

Dec 10, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) on the field after the game against the Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Rodgers has had a rocky relationship with his parents for several years, and the real problems seemed to begin around the time he was dating actress Olivia Munn. A book that will soon be published sheds some more light on that.

In his new book “Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers,” author Ian O’Connor claimed Munn was the “chief culprit” in the feud between Rodgers and his parents, which seemed to reach its peak when Rodgers dated Munn from 2014-2017. Rodgers’ parents, Ed and Darla, are devout Christians, and O’Connor was told they did not respect the fact that Rodgers and Munn had sex before marriage and that Munn spoke openly about the former couple’s sex life.

“Given her devout religious views, Aaron’s mother disapproved of premarital sex and was opposed to her middle child sharing a hotel room with his girlfriend even as an NFL player,” O’Connor wrote, via Daniel Bates of the Daily Mail.

In a 2014 talk show appearance, Munn shared some details of her sex life with Rodgers. She said the two did not have sex on game day but that they liked doing to deed as much as possible. A source told O’Connor that Darla was infuriated by the things Munn said publicly.

Munn claimed in another interview that she tried to encourage Rodgers to reconcile with his parents. Ed told O’Connor that is “a lie.”

O’Connor also wrote that there was a game where the Green Bay Packers were playing in Tampa Bay and Rodgers’ parents wanted to attend. Munn “made clear she did not want (Rodgers) meeting them or attending the game.” Ed and Darla went to the game anyway and ended up receiving an email from Rodgers that said something along the lines of “don’t attack the woman I love.”

Rodgers denied that Munn had anything to do with the issues between him and his parents. There were reports that Rodgers broke up with Munn because of the family drama, but both he and Munn have claimed that was not the case.

O’Connor also revealed in his book, which comes out on Aug. 20, that Rodgers had a secret meeting with his father last year after Ed decided to attend the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. The two embraced in what Rodgers described as a “special moment.” Ed and Darla were then in attendance a few weeks later for Rodgers’ first game with the New York Jets, during which he suffered a torn Achilles that ended his season.

Rodgers seems to be trending toward a reconciliation with his parents if he is not already there. It is unclear if the same can be said for Rodgers and his brother Jordan, who have also had issues in the past.