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Power couple got engaged in October 2020
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Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe have separated after nearly 10 years together.
Bird, a former basketball standout, and Rapinoe, a retired soccer star, announced their breakup in a joint Instagram post shared Friday.
“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,” they wrote. “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.”
They continued: “We are so grateful to this incredible community that has held us up, welcomed us in, and supported us exactly how we are.”
“So many of you have reminded us, again and again, why loving out loud matters,” they said, confirming that they would no longer be continuing their podcast, A Touch More.
Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird have split after nearly 10 years together (Getty)“Thank you for being with us through all of it…it means the world to us,” they concluded.
Although they’re split up, Rapinoe and Bird are both executive producers of a new Amazon MGM Studios series, Playing the Field, according to a Monday report from Deadline. The show is based on the USA Today bestseller Cleat Cute, written by Meryl Wilsner.
Rapino and Bird first connected in August 2016, when they bumped into each other at the Summer Olympics in Rio. Both professional athletes were doing press for NBC’s coverage of the Games at the time when Rapinoe noticed Bird.
Bird confirmed her sexuality and her relationship with Rapinoe simultaneously in 2017. According to Bleacher Report, she told ESPNW: “I’m gay. Megan’s my girlfriend. I don’t feel like I’ve not lived my life. I think people have this assumption that if you’re not talking about it, you must be hiding it, like it’s this secret. That was never the case for me.”
The pair confirmed their engagement on Instagram in 2020, sharing a photo of the WNBA champion standing in an infinity pool while Rapinoe, who was kneeling on one knee, placed a ring on her finger.
Rapinoe announced her retirement from professional soccer in 2023, leading up to her last season on the United States Women's National Team. The athlete, who played professional soccer for 15 years, posted a childhood snap on Instagram and reflected on her love for the sport, with Bird showing her support in the comments.
“Congrats, baby!!” Bird wrote. “That little girl is going to continue to do so much good in this world (but she sure did kill it on the field. I love you.”
Meanwhile, Bird retired from professional basketball in 2022, when she played her final season with the Seattle Storm after 21 years in the WNBA.
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