Aaron Rodgers’ Netflix Show: What He Revealed About the Family Drama

Between ayahuasca and the rehabilitation of his Achilles tendon injury, Aaron Rodgers revealed important information about their family drama in their new Netflix documentary series, Aaron Rodgers: Enigma.

The three episodes of the show, which launched on the streaming service on Tuesday, December 17, explore Rodgers’ attempts to return during the 2023 NFL season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during his first game as a quarterback. of the New York Jets. Meanwhile, it also provides background on Rodgers’ childhood, his college days, and his time with the Green Bay Packers.

A theme throughout the series is Rodgers’ rebellion against his Christian upbringing and how that upset his parents. ed and give itand put distance between him and his brothers Luke Rodgers and Jordan Rodgers.

“I grew up in a very white, dogmatic church and that didn’t really serve me well,” Aaron told Netflix cameras. “I had a very rigid structure, I am not a rigid person. Shame, guilt, judgment. It was like, ‘We have the truth, our way or the highway.’ Our way is heaven, yours is hell. Even talking to my parents, everything was black and white. Someone has to be wrong (and) someone has to be right. I slowly disengaged from that in high school.”

According to Aaron, his rise to fame also played a major role in the family drama, and Jordan’s time in The bachelorette party It certainly didn’t help.

Read on for the biggest takeaways about the Rodgers family in Enigma:

Aaron’s parents thought he was too “soft”

“Growing up I was very lucky to have parents who believed I had a very low tolerance for pain,” Aaron explained. “I felt like there were a lot of times where my parents felt like I was a little soft, and because of that, I made sure to be the toughest mom I knew. Whenever I had any type of injury, I made sure I could hold it together as best as possible. I could be back faster than anyone said. So dealing with pain has always been kind of a way of life.”

During his physical therapy for his Achilles injury in 2023, Rodgers noted that he started to feel “good,” but not good enough. “My own childhood conditioning is coming to light,” he told his therapist, laughing.

He later added that he is “grateful” that his parents thought he was “a soft kid.”

Ed Rodgers didn’t cry

During one of his ayahuasca trips documented on the show, Rodgers said he only saw his father cry once when he was a child.

“I think I saw my dad cry when my grandfather passed away. And that could have been it. There was no room for emotions. So, I definitely had some stunted emotional intelligence to communicate those emotions, for sure,” he said. “People who haven’t been around me much have this idea of ​​who I am or all that, and in these situations, you start to peel back some of those layers of who they think you are, and you start to dig deeper and get emotional. . And I think that’s what it means to be a balanced man: to be able to tap into that feminine divinity and be vulnerable.”

The fame effect

“There were many times when I became really famous and I heard from many people, including members of my family, saying, ‘Your life is too big.’ We need you to be smaller. Be smaller. Don’t talk about your life,’” Rodgers said. “That always hurt me because I feel like you don’t see me. This is not something I have ever wanted or desired other than playing on Sundays. It can definitely change the people around your circle because it can be intoxicating, the fame and the notoriety. So relationships definitely change after that: friendships, family.”

‘The Bachelorette’ Excavation

Jordan was a contestant on Jojo Fletcherthe season of The bachelorette party in 2016. When it came time for hometown visits, Aaron was noticeably missing, and producers left empty chairs for Aaron and his then-girlfriend. Olivia Munn at the dinner table.

“It wasn’t like he was very close to all the family members. “I was close with my little brother (Jordan),” Aaron said as photos of him and Jordan as children appeared on the screen. “But really, it goes back to things in high school that made me feel distant. Things in college, things after college. I stayed silent about it. I thought the best way to do it was to just not talk about it publicly. And what do they do? They go to a bull show and leave two chairs empty. Everyone agreed it was a good thing, leaving two chairs empty on some stupid dating show my brother had just become famous on—his words, not mine. Which ended up winning. But I was never asked to attend a dinner that was during the season. “It’s not like I went.”

The role of religion

At the University of California, Berkeley, Rodgers stopped going to church and loved being in a city that “challenged” his beliefs and what he learned growing up. Shortly after arriving in Green Bay, he began to follow the author’s teachings. Robert Bell in 2011.

“He was a great help to me in fully unraveling the religion of my youth. I began to investigate other religions and spiritualities. I started reading many different types of books, philosophy books and self-help books. And then I found the courage to express my feelings better. And then I began to confront the institutions of my youth (and that was everything, from organized religion, to my parents, to dogma, to ideology) that definitely changed the dynamic of my family. Because I was just questioning everything.”

Aaron said he “encountered a lot of resistance” from the family when he began “researching other religions and medicinal plants” and their “alternative lifestyle.”

“They are living the best they can, that is still wrapped up in an organized religion, which works for them. “That’s great,” he said. “As much as you don’t like what you see, love, respect and be grateful for the way I was raised, because that wouldn’t have made me who I am today.”

The vaccine

Aaron revealed that he “never got a flu shot as a kid” because his father “just didn’t believe in it.” This influenced Aaron’s skepticism about vaccines and his infamous 500-page document sent to the NFL during the COVID-19 crisis when he did not want to get vaccinated.

Possibilities of reconciliation

Aaron left the door open for his family to gather. “People ask me: ‘Is there hope for reconciliation?’ I say, ‘Yes, of course.’ Of course.’ “I don’t want them to fail, to struggle, to have conflicts or problems,” he said. “I don’t wish them any harm at all. It’s more like this: we’re just different steps on a timeline of our own journeys.”