Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers is not on speaking terms with his family, but he’s doing his best to keep a touchy subject private.
Even as current circumstances make that extremely hard.
Rodgers, whose already high profile is skyrocketing after his playoff heroics this winter, has seen his family feud come back to the fore.
Sunday, Aaron’s father, Ed Rodgers, confirmed to The New York Times that the family is not in verbal communication with the NFL QB.
Because the immensely popular athlete is just that – immensely popular – his mysterious, unspoken rift with his family is truly surprising.
Add to the fact that it became public knowledge when younger brother Jordan competed on The Bachelorette last year … and won.
“Fame can change things,” Ed Rodgers, the father of both boys and an older son, Luke, said of the “difficult” situation with his children.
Jordan, 28, revealed on the ABC show that although he was very close with Luke, Aaron Rodgers is estranged from the rest of the family.
“It’s just the way he’s chosen to do life,” Jordan explained. “I chose to stay close with my family and my parents and my brother [Luke].”
While Jordan and his father have opened up about the drama, they seem to view it as unavoidable, and are still reluctant to get into details.
Aaron has no intention of addressing it at all.
“Aaron has never wanted want to air this out in a public forum. He’s going through great precautions not to make things worse,” a source said.
“You’re not going to see him on Oprah crying about all of this,” the insider adds, possibly as a dig at Jordan doing so on reality television.
“He will deal with his family issues privately.”
During Jordan’s time on The Bachelorette, Aaron revealed to ABC’s WISN 12 News that “I haven’t seen the show, to be honest with you.”
“It hasn’t really affected me a whole lot,” said Aaron, adding that he didn’t want to elaborate on his relationship with his family members.
“As far as those kinds of things go, I’ve always found that it’s a little inappropriate to talk publicly about some family matters.”
“So I’m just … I’m not going to speak on those things,” the future Hall of Fame quarterback said, “but I wish him well in the competition.”
Last year, Jordan was asked why he decided to make his family’s estrangement with Aaron such a focal point as he courted JoJo Fletcher.
“I didn’t even think about it going into the show,” he admitted at the time. “I probably should’ve. I just wasn’t familiar with the show.”
“My goal was to be honest with her.”
“You don’t get any time off camera. We’re talking about trying to get to an engagement … you got to share everything. It had to be talked about.”
Although Aaron has yet to meet JoJo, Jordan said that his famous brother is “absolutely” invited to his wedding. Says the younger Rodgers.
“There’s no scenario in which I wouldn’t want my entire family at a wedding, so absolutely, that’s something all of our family wants and hopes for.”
He may not want to hold his breath.
One theory for why the brothers aren’t speaking is the relationship between Olivia Munn, Aaron’s girlfriend, and Brittany Farrar, Jordan’s ex.
Farrar happens to be close friends with Munn, and she is not a fan of Jordan now. At all. As a result, Aaron and Olivia iced Jordan out.
Or so the speculation goes.
No one knows for sure, because while they may be estranged, Aaron and Jordan are too polite to truly throw one another under the bus.
You’d think such decorum would make such a feud unlikely, or lead to a reconciliation at some point, but for now, relations have yet to thaw.
If and when they do?
We’re not likely to know about that either, because that’s how A-Rod rolls … and family feuds aside, clearly he’s doing something right.
Go Packers!