Aaron Rodgers Says ‘Dysfunction’ in His Family Life Started in High School: Had to 'Be My Own Parent'

Mar. 15, 2025

Aaron Rodgers (third from right) with his family afer winning Super Bowl XLV in 2011.Aaron Rodgersis opening up about his experience working on his spirituality and how he’s used plant-based medicine and meditation to “reparent” himself as an adult.In the new three-part Netflix docuseriesAaron Rodgers: Engima,about the 41-year-old NFL quarterback’s career and controversies, Rodgers explains how he’s used both to “learn how to love myself better” after not receiving the love he neededfrom his family growing up.“At times when you have some dysfunction or some separation in your family life, you have to kind of reparent yourself and give yourself what you didn’t get or wanted to hear more of when you were a kid, and I think for me, I just wanted to hear, ‘I’m proud of you,’ “ Rodgers explains during the second episode.“I had to find a way to be my own parent in those moments and say, ‘Hey, f— being perfect. I’m proud of who you are and what you’ve accomplished on and off the field.’ And forgiveness for all the mistakes, because I was just trying to do the best I could and a lot of times it wasn’t good enough,” the four-time NFL MVP says.Aaron Rodgers and the Rodgers family.Chance Yeh/WireImage; Luke Rodgers/InstagramRodgers reveals in the documentary that his estranged relationship with his family began around the time he was in high school and he began feeling a distance with his parents Ed and Darla’s devout Christian beliefs.While talking about his efforts to “reparent” himself as an adult, Rodgers says he “felt like the love that I was modeled growing up, it’s kind of a merit-based spirituality.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“If you don’t believe you deserve that love, it’s hard for you to give it, and it’s sure as hell hard for you to receive it,” Rodgers says, adding that “plant medicine has been a big teacher for me for self-love.”From left: Darla Rodgers, Aimee Rodgers, Jojo Fletcher, Jordan Rodgers, Luke Rodgers, and Ed Rodgers.Luke Rodgers/InstagramIn addition to his controversial efforts to discredit vaccines and publicly pushing various conspiracy theories about the government and other celebrities, Rodgers has made headlines in recent years forhis use of plant-based psychedelics like ayahuascaand spiritual experiences such asdarkness retreats.Jordan Russell, a childhood friend who is interviewed about Rodgers throughout the series, says he believes the New York Jets star has become “a completely different person” since he began his self-reflective spirituality work.“I think that before — if we sort of think of it as a before and after — I think the before, he wasn’t able to access that part of himself,” Russell says. “I think he was just stuck in his head.”All episodes ofAaron Rodgers: Engimaare streaming now on Netflix.

Aaron Rodgers (third from right) with his family afer winning Super Bowl XLV in 2011.

Aaron Rodgersis opening up about his experience working on his spirituality and how he’s used plant-based medicine and meditation to “reparent” himself as an adult.In the new three-part Netflix docuseriesAaron Rodgers: Engima,about the 41-year-old NFL quarterback’s career and controversies, Rodgers explains how he’s used both to “learn how to love myself better” after not receiving the love he neededfrom his family growing up.“At times when you have some dysfunction or some separation in your family life, you have to kind of reparent yourself and give yourself what you didn’t get or wanted to hear more of when you were a kid, and I think for me, I just wanted to hear, ‘I’m proud of you,’ “ Rodgers explains during the second episode.“I had to find a way to be my own parent in those moments and say, ‘Hey, f— being perfect. I’m proud of who you are and what you’ve accomplished on and off the field.’ And forgiveness for all the mistakes, because I was just trying to do the best I could and a lot of times it wasn’t good enough,” the four-time NFL MVP says.Aaron Rodgers and the Rodgers family.Chance Yeh/WireImage; Luke Rodgers/InstagramRodgers reveals in the documentary that his estranged relationship with his family began around the time he was in high school and he began feeling a distance with his parents Ed and Darla’s devout Christian beliefs.While talking about his efforts to “reparent” himself as an adult, Rodgers says he “felt like the love that I was modeled growing up, it’s kind of a merit-based spirituality.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“If you don’t believe you deserve that love, it’s hard for you to give it, and it’s sure as hell hard for you to receive it,” Rodgers says, adding that “plant medicine has been a big teacher for me for self-love.”From left: Darla Rodgers, Aimee Rodgers, Jojo Fletcher, Jordan Rodgers, Luke Rodgers, and Ed Rodgers.Luke Rodgers/InstagramIn addition to his controversial efforts to discredit vaccines and publicly pushing various conspiracy theories about the government and other celebrities, Rodgers has made headlines in recent years forhis use of plant-based psychedelics like ayahuascaand spiritual experiences such asdarkness retreats.Jordan Russell, a childhood friend who is interviewed about Rodgers throughout the series, says he believes the New York Jets star has become “a completely different person” since he began his self-reflective spirituality work.“I think that before — if we sort of think of it as a before and after — I think the before, he wasn’t able to access that part of himself,” Russell says. “I think he was just stuck in his head.”All episodes ofAaron Rodgers: Engimaare streaming now on Netflix.

Aaron Rodgersis opening up about his experience working on his spirituality and how he’s used plant-based medicine and meditation to “reparent” himself as an adult.

In the new three-part Netflix docuseriesAaron Rodgers: Engima,about the 41-year-old NFL quarterback’s career and controversies, Rodgers explains how he’s used both to “learn how to love myself better” after not receiving the love he neededfrom his family growing up.

“At times when you have some dysfunction or some separation in your family life, you have to kind of reparent yourself and give yourself what you didn’t get or wanted to hear more of when you were a kid, and I think for me, I just wanted to hear, ‘I’m proud of you,’ “ Rodgers explains during the second episode.

“I had to find a way to be my own parent in those moments and say, ‘Hey, f— being perfect. I’m proud of who you are and what you’ve accomplished on and off the field.’ And forgiveness for all the mistakes, because I was just trying to do the best I could and a lot of times it wasn’t good enough,” the four-time NFL MVP says.

Aaron Rodgers and the Rodgers family.Chance Yeh/WireImage; Luke Rodgers/Instagram

Chance Yeh/WireImage; Luke Rodgers/Instagram

Rodgers reveals in the documentary that his estranged relationship with his family began around the time he was in high school and he began feeling a distance with his parents Ed and Darla’s devout Christian beliefs.

While talking about his efforts to “reparent” himself as an adult, Rodgers says he “felt like the love that I was modeled growing up, it’s kind of a merit-based spirituality.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“If you don’t believe you deserve that love, it’s hard for you to give it, and it’s sure as hell hard for you to receive it,” Rodgers says, adding that “plant medicine has been a big teacher for me for self-love.”

From left: Darla Rodgers, Aimee Rodgers, Jojo Fletcher, Jordan Rodgers, Luke Rodgers, and Ed Rodgers.Luke Rodgers/Instagram

Luke Rodgers/Instagram

In addition to his controversial efforts to discredit vaccines and publicly pushing various conspiracy theories about the government and other celebrities, Rodgers has made headlines in recent years forhis use of plant-based psychedelics like ayahuascaand spiritual experiences such asdarkness retreats.

Jordan Russell, a childhood friend who is interviewed about Rodgers throughout the series, says he believes the New York Jets star has become “a completely different person” since he began his self-reflective spirituality work.

“I think that before — if we sort of think of it as a before and after — I think the before, he wasn’t able to access that part of himself,” Russell says. “I think he was just stuck in his head.”

All episodes ofAaron Rodgers: Engimaare streaming now on Netflix.

source: people.com