“He loves them very much, and he wants nothing but good things for them all,” the source tells PEOPLE. “The fact that he doesn’t talk to them doesn’t mean that he hates them. They just have a very problematic relationship that sometimes can be toxic. For the good of everyone, there’s some distance there.”
The source tells PEOPLE that Aaron, 36, is still someone his family can count on.
“If they needed him, if anything went wrong or if there were an emergency, he’d be the first one to help them,” the source says. “He loves them.”
Aaron Rodgers.Harry How/Getty
The NFL star and his family have beenestranged for several years— including his younger brother andBachelorettestarJordan Rodgers.While Aaron has not spoken publicly about the reasons behind the estrangement, a source close to the family told PEOPLE that their religious views have been a part of the stress.
Aaronrecently sat downwith his girlfriendDanica Patrickfor a conversation on herPretty Intensepodcast, during which he opened up about not feeling connected to his religious community as a child.
After hearing Aaron’s’ sentiments about his Christian upbringing, the source close to the family told PEOPLE they felt like he had “turned his back on them.”
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
In a 2017 interview with theNew York Times, the family patriarch, Ed Rodgers, claimed that his son’s rise to fame was also a factor in the rift between the family, telling the outlet that the quarterback had allegedly stopped talking to his family members at the end of 2014, shortly after he began dating actress Olivia Munn.
In December 2018, Aaronsparked some hopes of a reconciliationbetween the family when he revealed he had celebrated his birthday with them. However, things seem to have remained tense since then.
While a different family source tells PEOPLE that the Rodgers have had sporadic communication with the football star, there is still a desire to smooth things over permanently. “Everyone in the family is willing to make something work,” says the family insider. “They want to be functional.”
Adds the source close to Aaron: “I think everyone hopes that they can someday have a healthier relationship. We’ll see what happens.”
A rep for Aaron did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
