Sue Bird Opens Up About What Went Wrong in Relationship With Megan Rapinoe

Sue Bird is breaking down what led to her split from Megan Rapinoe after 10 years together.

"It's like anything," Bird, 45, told Women's Health in an interview published on Tuesday, June 9. "It's like, you grow, you change, you start having conversations about that in your relationship, and it just got to a point where we realized it might not be working anymore."

The split came as a surprise to the retired basketball pro and Rapinoe, 40, as they "planned on being together forever," Bird shared.

Despite their breakup, Bird insisted she and Rapinoe are on "great terms" and have "no bad blood" between them.

Bird added that her experience in couples therapy with Rapinoe has helped her cope with the end of their relationship.

"It's made it a lot more, for me, easier and calmer," she explained. "Otherwise, sometimes it can feel like you're set in stone on something, and that can bring an anxiety, but it hasn't felt like that."

Bird and Rapinoe, who cohosted the "A Touch More" podcast, announced their split in April.

"There really is no smooth or easy way to share this news," the pair wrote via social media at the time. "After a lot of thought, we've made the decision to separate as a couple. 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."

The pair continued, "We're 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."

Bird and Rapinoe also confirmed that their podcast would be coming to an end.

Bird admitted to Women's Health that their final days recording "A Touch More" were "a little awkward," but "the chemistry and the interaction between us, that was still very real. It really is rooted in an actual love for each other."

Bird and Rapinoe met at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. When Bird came out as a lesbian in 2017, she revealed that Rapinoe was her girlfriend. The now-exes got engaged in 2020, although they never wed.

Bird told Women's Health that she was often "actively hiding" her private life prior to meeting Rapinoe, but the soccer star helped her become more open about who she is.

"There's no way I am who I am without being with Megan," she told the outlet. "But now that it's over, I get to take this kind of, like, newish, grown-ish, healed-ish version of myself and be out in the world again. It's exciting, it's scary, it's all of it."

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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 9:47 AM.