Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird split after nearly a decade: ‘Loving out loud matters’
Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird (Image: Getty Images)
Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird have announced they have split after nearly 10 years together, sharing a joint Instagram statement that thanked their community and reflected on queer visibility.
They also confirmed they will no longer continue their podcast, A Touch More.
In a joint Instagram post announcing the split, Rapinoe and Bird wrote: “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,” adding: “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.”
Referencing LGBTQ+ visibility, they added: “So many of you have reminded us, again and again, why loving out loud matters,” before concluding: “Thank you for being with us through all of it… it means the world to us.”
They did not share a reason for the split, instead emphasising care and gratitude, and confirming the practical change fans will notice most: A Touch More will not continue in the same way, with both women starting solo projects.
Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird timeline
Rapinoe and Bird are understood to have first connected in August 2016 at the Summer Olympics in Rio while doing press for NBC’s coverage of the Games. They confirmed their engagement on Instagram in 2020.
Bird retired from professional basketball in 2022 after her final season with the Seattle Storm, ending a 21-year WNBA career.
Rapinoe announced her retirement from professional football in 2023, ahead of her final season on the United States Women’s National Team, after a career that included the US team’s 2015 and 2019 World Cup wins and her 2019 Ballon d’Or Féminin.
Both have remained high-profile beyond their playing careers, and are reportedly still attached as executive producers to an Amazon MGM Studios series titled Playing the Field, based on the USA Today bestseller Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner. Rapinoe has also continued her advocacy around equality in sport, including criticising the IOC’s “horrible” ban on trans women.
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