Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird Announce Separation After Nearly a Decade Together

Soccer icon Megan Rapinoe and basketball legend Sue Bird have confirmed they are ending their relationship after nearly a decade as one of women’s sports most recognizable couples. The pair, who became engaged in 2020, announced the separation publicly while also indicating they will scale back joint appearances on their podcast venture.

The relationship between Rapinoe, 40, and Bird, 45, has long been regarded as a landmark partnership in American sports, pairing two of the most decorated athletes in their respective disciplines. Bird, a four-time WNBA champion with the Seattle Storm and five-time Olympic gold medalist, and Rapinoe, a two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winner and 2019 Ballon d’Or Féminin recipient, made their relationship public in 2017 when they appeared together on the cover of ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue. Their engagement in October 2020 was widely celebrated as a visibility milestone for LGBTQ+ athletes in professional sports.

Beyond their individual athletic accomplishments, the couple built an extensive joint media and business footprint. They co-founded TOGETHXR in 2021 alongside Alex Morgan and Chloe Kim, a women’s sports media venture aimed at elevating female athletes. Their podcast “A Touch More,” launched in 2024, became a flagship property covering sports, culture, and politics. Both athletes also became vocal figures in national debates over equal pay — Rapinoe most notably through the U.S. Women’s National Team’s lawsuit against U.S. Soccer, which culminated in a $24 million settlement in 2022.

The couple indicated that while their romantic relationship has ended, they intend to maintain a friendship and continue collaborating on select professional projects. The future of “A Touch More” remains in flux, though both have signaled the show will continue in some format. Observers in the women’s sports industry will be watching how the separation affects their overlapping business ventures, including TOGETHXR, which has grown into a significant voice in women’s sports media during a period of unprecedented commercial expansion for the sector — with WNBA viewership and NWSL valuations hitting record highs in recent seasons.