When you hear accolades like ‘American former professional racing driver and model’, with a career that spanned the IndyCar Series from 2005 to 2011 and the NASCAR Cup Series from 2012 to 2018, you imagine someone fearless, trailblazing, and exceptional. Someone who shattered ceilings, the first woman to win an IndyCar Series race, and the first to claim pole position in a NASCAR Cup Series event. That person is Danica Patrick. A fiercely independent icon, she spent her entire career outrunning expectations both on the track and in life. But even she found herself in unfamiliar territory one evening with Aaron Rodgers. No cameras, no spotlight, just a quiet table for two, and a moment that challenged everything she was used to.
Their relationship, although no longer current, remains an insightful case study in what happens when traditional roles in dating get disrupted by mutual success. Their relationship lasted for two years after splitting up in 2020, and since then, both have continued to evolve in the public eye. Patrick had been the one in control of the wheel, of her brand, and of the bill. For her, self-reliance wasn’t a choice; it was the fuel that drove her entire identity. But all that changed when a Super Bowl MVP, an NFL icon, and someone who matched her fame stride for stride just picked up the check for their dinner instead of her.
As she sat down with Graham Bensinger, Danica talked about her relationship with Aaron Rodgers. She revealed how their time together not only changed her patterns but also broke down her emotional and habitual walls. For Danica, who had long been the provider in past relationships, in business, in nearly every arena, letting someone else take care of her, even financially, was uncharted territory. Bensinger curiously asked her, “How strange, if at all, is it for you to all of a sudden be with somebody who you know has the same level of fame as you and also had an extraordinary amount of financial success?”
To which Patrick replied, “Well, I finally found someone who pays for things. That’s never happened. Ever. Like, I would buy dinner literally. I mean, I would buy dinner most of the time. It was super uncomfortable in the beginning with Aaron, like to have him paying for things because it was so out of the norm for me. And you’re sure that’s just not you setting the precedent that you want to buy dinner. It’s just a pattern. Like I had to break that pattern of like I got it. Like let me take care of you, you know, like that’s how I do it. But I think it’s also good because no one’s really done that for him either. And so, you know, we both do stuff, but yes, he pays for most things.”
Bildnummer: 12886075 Datum: 24.02.2013 Copyright: imago/UPI Photo
Pole sitter Danica Patrick is introduced to the crowds as she walks by the Daytona 500 trophy before the NASCAR Motorsport USA Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida February 24, 2013. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY DAY20130224022; Motorsport USA NASCAR xdp x1x 2013 quadrat Aufmacher premiumd o0 Pokal Objekte Präsentation
Image number 12886075 date 24 02 2013 Copyright imago UPI Photo Pole Sitter Danica Patrick is introduced to The Crowds AS She Walks by The Daytona 500 Trophy Before The Nascar motor aviation USA Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 Car Race AT Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Florida February 24 2013 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY motor aviation USA Nascar x1x 2013 Square Highlight premiumd o0 Cup Objects Presentation
In her post-racing career, she has leaned fully into her holistic side, launching her Pretty Intense podcast, becoming a wellness entrepreneur, and speaking openly about energy, meditation, and personal growth. These weren’t just hobbies for her; they were core parts of her identity. Similarly, Rodgers has become increasingly introspective in recent years. Once seen as hyper-competitive and guarded, he’s opened up about ayahuasca, mental health, and personal growth. His 2025 move to the Pittsburgh Steelers at age 41 felt like a full-circle moment; a veteran QB choosing peace and purpose over spotlight for his final NFL run.
That small, seemingly mundane moment revealed far more than just a conversation about who picks up the tab. It cracked open the deeper complexities of what happens when two powerful, self-made individuals, both rich, both famous, both used to being the one who takes care of others, try to build something together. But that dinner-table discomfort, that moment of shifting roles, didn’t come out of nowhere. It was rooted in something deeper: a bond that began years earlier in the most unexpected and otherworldly way.
How Aaron Rodgers met Danica Patrick
Their story didn’t start with glitz or headlines. According to Danica, it all began with a playful, spiritual jab: asking Aaron Rodgers if he was “stalking her on the astral plane,” and to her surprise, he understood exactly what she meant. Long before they made headlines as one of sports’ most powerful celebrity couples, Rodgers and Patrick were simply friends; casual, sporadic, and respectful friends who’d cross each other’s paths in the tight-knit world of elite athletes. There were no paparazzi back then, no speculation, but according to Patrick, the turning point came in the most unexpected way imaginable, through a conversation about the astral plane.
She told Bensinger, “Yeah, like it all really started with me asking if he was stalking me on the astral plane,” she revealed with a laugh. “People don’t know what that means, but he knew what that meant.” This wasn’t some quirky joke. It was a genuine spark, a signal that the two of them shared a rare kind of open-mindedness and intellectual curiosity that stretched beyond the realm of sports. “So, you know, it’s just one of those things where we both went, “What?” We’re interested in unique things that not a lot of people are. And we’re also very open-minded people.” And that’s how one of the most talked-about couples in recent history came together. And although they ended their relationship a while ago, both of them impacted each other’s lives in a positive way.
Danica Patrick and Aaron Rodgers’ relationship was far from typical, and that’s what made it so compelling. It began not with red carpet sparks, but with years of quiet friendship and a shared fascination with things most people can’t even pronounce, let alone understand. From navigating astral planes to awkward dinner tabs, their connection reflected both the magic and the messiness of modern love between equals.
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