Shailene Diann Woodley was born in San Bernardino, California, on November 15, 1991, and has spent much of her life a little left of center stage. Her acting career kicked off early, but everything changed after “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” launching her as a young star to watch. “The Descendants” with George Clooney turned that attention into widespread acclaim, and soon she was headlining big films like “Divergent” and “The Fault in Our Stars,” each role adding another layer to her reputation as one of Hollywood’s most versatile young talents.
But off camera, Shailene doesn’t quite fit the Hollywood mold. She’s unapologetically herself – talking openly about environmental causes, making her own toothpaste, or hiking out to remote springs to collect drinking water. She’s even been arrested for protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline, turning her activism into something more than a social media post. In interviews and appearances, her candor and earthy sense of humor have made her both beloved and the occasional subject of gentle jokes.
In her acting choices, she’s pursued projects that resonate on a more personal level. After the “Divergent” series, Shailene passed on typical blockbuster roles in favor of parts that tested her range and tapped into deeper emotional territory. Her performance in HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” alongside Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon, was a standout, showing she could not only keep pace with Hollywood veterans but deliver something uniquely her own.
Love and relationships have been a quieter part of her public life, rarely the focus of loud headlines or scandal. Still, a few romances have drawn notice. Her engagement to NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers became public in an unusually casual way – he mentioned his “fiancée” during his 2021 MVP acceptance speech, surprising fans and the media alike. The relationship, though, ended just a year later, with reports suggesting their differences were hard to bridge.
Before Rodgers, Shailene dated rugby player Ben Volavola from 2017 until 2020. As she reflected after their breakup, “I was still at an age where I wasn’t able to fully commit,” a sentiment she shared with Bustle during the pandemic’s height. Unlike many celebrities, Shailene keeps her current dating life close to the vest, rarely posting about it on social media and mostly steering clear of the tabloid churn.
If there’s a philosophy behind all this, it’s probably best summed up by something she told The New York Times in 2019: “Partnership was much more about ‘What can we create together?’ rather than just falling into that traditional role.” She’s never seemed interested in simply ticking off boxes – her relationships, like her roles, are approached with a sense of curiosity and intention.
Asked recently about her love life, Shailene just laughed and said she was “focused on work right now.” Maybe that’s a dodge, or maybe it’s genuine – either way, she seems perfectly content keeping some things for herself.
Past Relationships
Lucas Bravo
Roberta Colindrez
Aaron Rodgers
Ben Volavola
Ezra Miller
Nahko Bear
Theo James
Elliot Page
In an industry built on sharing, Shailene Woodley’s selective privacy might be her most quietly defiant act. As her career keeps evolving, she continues to surprise – on screen and off – reminding fans that, with her, you should always expect the unexpected.