NASCAR trailblazer Danica Patrick opens up on split with NFL star

NASCAR trailblazer and former IndyCar star turned Formula 1 pundit Danica Patrick has opened up on her painful split from NFL star Aaron Rodgers.

Patrick was front and center over the weekend, appearing as part of Fox's coverage of the 109th Indianapolis 500, with the 43-year-old herself having taken part in the 'greatest spectacle in racing' on eight occasions.

Impressively, Patrick registered six top-10 finishes in the Indy 500 over the years, with her best effort having come in 2009 when she finished third for Andretti Green Racing.

Patrick would later go on to race in the NASCAR Cup Series between 2012 and 2018, becoming the first-ever female pole winner at the Daytona 500 in 2013.

Despite a lengthy racing career at the top, filled with highs and lows, Patrick recently revealed that her most painful moment came in a situation relating to her personal life.

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Patrick: It gave me the greatest gift

Appearing on The Sage Steele Show last week, Patrick was asked what the most amount of pain she had ever experienced was, to which she pointed to her 2020 breakup with Rodgers.

“The breakup with Aaron in 2020,” Patrick explained. “Because it was sudden. It felt like, it was my life.

"So like, you know, when you live with somebody and it’s your whole life. It’s your dentist appointment, it’s your hairdo, it’s your clothes, it’s your mailing address. It’s like, everything. And because the nature of the relationship was emotionally abusive, so that wore me down to nothing."

Patrick bravely continued: “Someone that people could never imagine that I would lack any confidence or belief in the simple things about who I am...yeah, everything was torn to bits.

"And yeah, he leaves a trail of blood. I don’t think I’m saying too much earth-shattering stuff. There’s been enough out there.”

Able to take the positive out of what was clearly a very challenging time for herself, Patrick continued: "But it gave me the greatest gift, the greatest gift, which was myself."

"It gave me the greatest gift of how much I needed to show up for myself and take care of myself."

Rodgers and Patrick dated for just over two years between 2018 and 2020 before their breakup in July 2020.

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