Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird broke up and I am devastated!! They seemed like a forever-couple, right? They first got together at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where Bird was playing for the US women’s basketball team and Rapinoe was playing for the US women’s soccer team. They got engaged in 2020. They live together – or maybe that’s past tense now – and they had a podcast together and their lives were completely intertwined. Not only are they splitting up, but they’re also done with the pod??? I’m going to cry.
It’s over for Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe. The longtime power couple announced Friday, April 17, they’ve decided to separate after nearly 10 years together. The former WNBA and NWSL stars got engaged in 2020.
“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,” the joint Instagram post read. “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.”
“We are so grateful to this incredible community that has held us up, welcomed us in, and supported us exactly how we are,” they continued. “So many of you have reminded us, again and again, why loving out loud matters.”
Bird and Rapinoe also announced that will no longer be doing their podcast, A Touch More, together.
“Thank you for being with us through all of it…it means the world to us.”
I’m done, cut the show, I’M DONE! And to do this during the Trump era? When we need lesbian power couples the most? It was actually because of this split announcement that I realized that people across all demographics were completely invested in Rapinoe & Bird. Like, they really were America’s Gay Sweethearts and people are treating this like it’s a major celebrity split (it is). It feels sus to me that no one is saying what went down either. Like, they were still recording their podcast this month, with their most recent pod dropping just days before their split announcement. WTF happened??
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images. Screencap courtesy of YouTube.
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- Megan Anna Rapinoe USA Fussballspielerin und Ihre Freundin Sue Bird USA Basketballspielerin als Olympiatouristen beim Basketball, Halbfinale Basketball, USA – Serbien, Paris 2024, Olympic Games, Olympische Spiele, Olympia, OS Paris 2024, Olympic Games 2024, 08.08.2024, – *** Megan Anna Rapinoe USA soccer player and her girlfriend Sue Bird USA basketball player as Olympic tourists at basketball, semi-final basketball, USA Serbia, Paris 2024, Olympic Games Paris 2024, Olympic Games 2024, 08 08 2024,,Image: 897275824, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/FRANK HEINEN/rscp-photo/Avalon
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- FRA, Paris, Olympischen Spiele Paris 2024, 10.08.2024, Basketball Herren Finale Frankreich – USA, Bercy Arena Carmelo Anthony amerikanischer Basketballer, Kiyan Anthony, Stephon Marbury amerikanischer Basketballer, Scottie Pippen ehemaliger amerikanischer Basketballer, Sue Bird amerikanische Basketballspielerin und Megan Rapinoe ehemalige amerikanische Fussballspielerin jubeln Courtside *** FRA, Paris, Olympic Games Paris 2024, 10 08 2024, Basketball Mens Final France USA, Bercy Arena Carmelo Anthony American basketball player , Kiyan Anthony, Stephon Marbury American basketball player , Scottie Pippen former American basketball player , Sue Bird American basketball player and Megan Rapinoe former American soccer player cheer courtside Copyright:,Image: 897724537, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Steffie Wunderl/Avalon
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- Michael Rubins Fanatics Super Bowl Party at Marquee Dayclub Inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Featuring: Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird Where: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States When: 11 Feb 2024 Credit: Judy Eddy/Cover Images
I think this is where saying its not up to any power couple to be a flagship for anyone. Why should these women have even more pressure on them than they do? These comments prove the point exactly. Gay women aren’t here to save you. Not their job.
We can be sad about the end of a relationship that we enjoyed rooting for. Expressing that sadness doesn’t mean that we expect gay women to save us. ??? Quite a leap there!
Whoa, Lambchop, harsh much? ~ @Kaiser has not, in the many, many years I’ve been engaged with this site, ever, never has expectations of lesbians, or anyone else.
You obviously did not pick up on the tongue-in-cheek, wistfulness tone of her post. After reading the article, then your comment, I felt a real disconnect between the two.
It’s sad when any couple break up, whether they be a private or public couple. We’re sad for them both, and wish both all the best for their future paths. Also, it was a great podcast, so we’re sad to lose that, too. It has to be okay to mourn the loss when they break up.
@Gail – Thank you for this response. Relationships end, and in the gossip sphere we express disappointment. In this case, there’s the added element that we’re in an era where powerful representation matters more than ever. But Megan and Sue KNOW that. Are aware of their positions. And undoubtedly were incredibly thoughtful about that when the time came to split.
We’re in a terrible timeline and it helps to acknowledge that.
There’s been loads of criticism against a number of people here about woc having to carry the can. Saying in any way that its disappointing given the climate were in is 💯 putting a burden on them. Just because yiu can’t see it,doesn’t make it less true. No one’s perfect in their views, btw. No one on here. Lots of old timers get called out on stuff. It’s important it happens in safe spaces like this because it can’t happen in most online environments.
I can understand how that line could make you feel that way, but to me, the fact that it followed that meme reference made it very clear it was a joke to emphasize how attached a lot of people felt to Sue and Megan specifically. As a longtime married lesbian, I honestly felt seen by everything that followed since I also feel like the responses to this breakup are validating and recognize how much people really valued and appreciated them as a couple. That doesn’t mean they aren’t allowed to break up or have to be some beacon for everyone else in this sh*tshow, but it does make me feel like it’s possible for average people to view queer couples as a gold standard relationship that surprises and saddens them when it ends.
Similarly, I get what you are saying about the pressure on WOC to save the rest of us, but respectfully feel that it’s a very different thing than what was expressed here and also that it’s not an apt comparison for a lot of different reasons.
Ten years is a long time for a marriage to last in today’s environment. Marriages used to last longer because of economic necessity, children, societal pressure and legal roadblocks. I wish them all the best and hope they find happiness in this change.
That is the saddest statement I’ve heard (today. Let’s be honest we hear tragic shit every minute at this point). I also agree, though. Marriages used to stay together because they had no choice. And as a Gen Xer, nearly everyone I know had a “starter” marriage.
I don’t find sadness in the concept of divorce. Divorce can be freedom. I do find sadness in relationships we thought were magical ending, but maybe we need to stop finding magic in celeb marriages. They are legal contracts and contracts have out clauses.
Oh, this is so sad! Just awful news. I’m always curious how star athletes transition to retirement but they seemed to be handling it so well! Ugh, I’m sorry for them and wish them well.
Calliope and Mightymolly, same. I didn’t even realize I WAS invested in their relationship until now that they’ve broken up. Damn.
I think “joint podcast leads to breakup” is the 2026 version of “joint reality show leads to breakup” from the early 00s.
You could really see the relationship cracks in some of their Bicker of the Week segments. I’m not claiming that correlation implies causation, but as a Geriatric Millennial, I definitely saw it coming.
Molly, I don’t see how you could be geriatric as a millennial. I looked it up, and the oldest you could be is 45. As a baby boomer (I’m in the very last year of the boomer generation), you are still a kid to me!
It’s a term that popularized a few years referring to the older end of the millennial generation, not actual reference to being 65+.
Megan was engaged when she got with Sue.
Lose em how you get em!