Megan Rapinoe announces shock split from longtime partner Sue Bird
USA soccer legend Megan Rapinoe and former WNBA star Sue Bird have announced that they have split after almost ten years together.
The sporting power couple had been dating for nearly a decade after first meeting backstage at a photoshoot for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The athletes, both gold medal winners in their respective sports, got engaged in October 2020 but never tied the knot.
They confirmed that they were going their separate ways in a statement on Friday, insisting that it had not been an ‘easy decision.’
‘There really is no smooth or easy way to share this news. After a lot of thought, we’ve made the decision to separate as a couple,’ a statement read.
‘This hasn’t been an easy decision, but it’s one we’ve made together, with so much love, respect, and care for each other. We’ve shared a whole life over the last decade, through big moments and in quiet ones, and that is something we’ll always carry with us.
USA soccer legend Megan Rapinoe and former WNBA star Sue Bird have split
The couple had been dating for almost a decade after meeting at the 2016 Olympics in Rio
‘We are so grateful to this incredible community that has held us up, welcomed us in, and supported us exactly as we are. So many of you have reminded us, again and again, why loving out loud matters.’
The former couple relaunched their podcast, ‘A Touch More,’ in summer 2024, covering women’s sports and the culture around it. They confirmed that, following their shock split, they will also no longer be recording the show together.
‘Getting to create A Touch More: The Podcast and build a network around it has been a tremendous joy,’ their joint statement added.
‘The conversations, the laughter, the connection – it means more than we can put into words. While this chapter of doing the podcast together is ending, what we’ve built with you isn’t.
‘Thank you for being with us through all of it… it means the world to us.’
They also released a short, special-edition of their podcast on Friday afternoon, sharing a brief three-minute clip to their socials about the ‘personal news.’
Bird explained that they wanted to be ‘transparent’ about their separation after sharing so much of their relationship with their followers over the years.
‘It’s going to look a little bit different going forward,’ Rapinoe admitted, before Bird explained that they plan to release six more limited episodes before closing that chapter of their lives.
‘I hope you all know that we put a lot of thought and care into this,’ Rapinoe added. ‘It’s a decision that we made together. We’re still going to be there for all of you and for each other, it’s just going to look and feel a little bit different.
‘We truly are evolving into something new to each other, to ourselves and to all of you.’
With so much love 🫶 pic.twitter.com/Kd9iomFykI
— A Touch More (@atouchmore) April 17, 2026
The soccer star popped the question to Bird in 2020 after four years of dating
Despite a lengthy engagement, the sports power couple never exchanged vows
They insisted that their decision to break up had not been an ‘easy decision’
Rapinoe, 40, first came out in 2012 ahead of representing the USWNT on the Olympic stage at the London Games.
However, Bird, 45, was not publicly open about her sexuality until she and Rapinoe went public with their relationship.
Bird previously explained to the Seattle Times: ‘I think a lot of people who were like me at the time felt: “Yes, I was living my life, but I don’t have to come out publicly.” You kinda say, “Well, straight people don’t have to come out.” I understand now that’s not necessarily the right way to look at it.’
She revealed to the newspaper: ‘Megan and I would have conversations about it, and she opened my eyes to another way of looking at it, which is that in today’s time, in today’s society, it’s still important to kind of say it to make it the norm.’
Despite getting together shortly after the Rio Olympics, where they were both competing for Team USA – Rapinoe in soccer and Brid in basketball – they did not go public with their romance until the following year.
In an interview with People in 2019, Rapinoe gushed over her then-Seattle Storm star girlfriend.
‘We are huge fans of each other. I have become, like, a Seattle Storm number one superfan, of course,’ Rapinoe said.
Rapinoe is a two-time World Cup winner, while Bird has won five Olympic gold medals
The USWNT icon passionately embraces her partner after Bird won gold at the Tokyo Olympics
Rapinoe previously got engaged to singer Sera Cahoone in 2015 but they ultimately broke up
‘I think it is just the understanding of what we have to go through and the appreciation of, you know, each other’s skills and lives is really special. And in the same sense, we are just normal to each other. Which is really nice. Like, neither of us are like, “Oh wow you are the best person that has ever played basketball.” Which she is!’
Three years later, Rapinoe popped the question to the basketball legend in 2020, shortly after Bird won her fourth WNBA championship with the Seattle Storm.
Between the two of them, the duo have a total of six Olympic gold medals – five for Bird and one for Rapinoe. The soccer star also has a bronze from the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Rapinoe previously got engaged to singer Sera Cahoone in 2015 but they ultimately broke up, and she has also dated her fellow soccer star Sarah Walsh.
Rapinoe is widely considered one of the most famous names in women’s soccer, having won two World Cups with the USA in addition to her Olympic success.
Meanwhile, Bird is a WNBA legend, cementing her status with four championships with the Storm, with whom she played her entire career. She also won two NCAA championships during her collegiate career with the UConn Huskies.
Bird retired from the sport in 2022. However, she didn’t step away from the spotlight, often being seen supporting her partner at various soccer games until Rapinoe’s own career in 2023.
