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Shailene Woodley and Cheryl Hines, vexed by anti-vaccine partners, try ‘agree to disagree’ defense of relationships

Shailene Woodley, or a “source” authorized to speak for her, let it be known Tuesday that she doesn’t always agree with fiancé Aaron Rodgers on “politics,” similar to the way Cheryl Hines let it be known that the controversial anti-vaccination views of her husband, Robert Kennedy Jr., are “not a reflection of my own.”

With these statements, the Hollywood actresses appear to be trying hard to save their reputations by distancing themselves from their partners’ incendiary statements on the COVID-19 pandemic. The women insist they hold different opinions than their partners, employing what could be called an “agree to disagree” defense.

Woodley’s source in fact used that exact phrase in a statement given to celebrity-friendly People magazine. According to the source, Woodley and Rodgers “are not talking about their politics, and they never really have.” The source added: “They disagreed on a lot of things. Early on, they decided to agree to disagree about things and not debate them.”

Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers 'Agree to Disagree About Things and Not Debate Them': Source pic.twitter.com/JqQkGACDda

— People (@people) January 26, 2022

A likely translation of this statement is that Woodley — or her people — know that the “Divergent” star has been under scrutiny over her engagement to the polarizing Green Bay Packers quarterback. Rodgers’ NFL future fell into question following his team’s stunning playoff loss to the 49ers Saturday. He had already done significant damage to his once-golden reputation as a likable American sports hero by being outspoken about his COVID-19 vaccine denialism.

It remains to be seen how well Woodley’s “agree to disagree” defense will work for her.  So far, it doesn’t seem to be working too well for Hines.

Indeed, the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star has found herself at the center of a fierce social media debate about how much she or any woman or man is responsible for a partner’s controversial words or actions after Kennedy took his anti-vaccine politicking to a disturbing new level over the weekend.

At a rally in Washington D.C., Kennedy compared vaccine mandates to the Holocaust, inexplicably saying that Anne Frank had been better off in hiding than Americans whose jobs required them to get vaccinated. Kennedy said the teenager “could hide in an attic” — leaving out the fact that she and her family were found and died in Nazi concentration camps.

The backlash against Kennedy, the son of Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, was swift, with the Auschwitz Memorial issuing a statement on Twitter, condemning him for exploiting a tragedy in which people “were humiliated, tortured and murdered by the totalitarian regime of Nazi Germany.”

Hines, married to Kennedy since 2014, initially responded to the Auschwitz Memorial statement on Monday night by tweeting somewhat mildly: “My husband’s opinions are not a reflection of my own. While we love each other, we differ on many current issues.”

Hines faced swift backlash for this “agree to disagree” effort. People were not in the mood to let her off the hook so easily. She was criticized for not immediately issuing a more “firm” public statement like her husband’s sister, Kerry Kennedy, who decried his “lies and fear-mongering.” Kerry Kennedy said her brother’s “hateful rhetoric” does not represent the views of the Kennedy family.

Hines returned to Twitter Tuesday morning with a stronger statement, tweeting that her husband’s reference to Anne Frank “was reprehensible and insensitive.” She again insisted: “His opinions are not a reflection of my own.”

Again, her statement left many unsatisfied. Daily Beast editor Marlow Stern pointed out to Hines that her husband has been invoking the Holocaust to make anti-vaccine arguments for years, even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

he’s been doing this for years, even pre-COVID, but you must know that already pic.twitter.com/BoGBVT305Y

— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) January 25, 2022

Others added that Hines has stood by her husband for years, as the long-time environmentalist has enjoyed a lucrative, high-profile career by building what the Associated Press called an anti-vaccine “juggernaut.” Kennedy’s Children’s Health Defense has raked in followers and millions of dollars in funding since the start of the pandemic as he has used his star power as a Kennedy family member to “open doors, raise money and lend his group credibility,” AP said.

Certainly, some argued that Hines and Kennedy are “separate people” and that she, as a wife, can’t be held responsible for what her husband does or says. One person said that she shouldn’t be obligated to explain his words and actions, “especially when she doesn’t participate in any of his anti-vaccine work and has been pretty clear that she doesn’t agree with it.”

Others said that spouses are tied to each other legally, financially and in many other ways, with one person tweeting: “When her husband is publicly spreading dangerous lies using sickening analogies AND she is a public person, questioning her position on the topic is not out of line.”

Another added: “If she enjoys the housing, food, and wealth that her husband brings in via his anti-vaccine work, she can and should be held accountable for that.” Someone else pointed out that marriages and relationships typically last when couples have “shared values and goals.” As much as Hines may say she doesn’t agree with her husband, the person said, “Sorry he is a reflection her.”

Woodley has been embroiled in similar debates about Rodgers ever since the three-time NFL MVP revealed in November that he had refused the COVID vaccine and tried to justify misleading reporters about his status and violating NFL safety protocols. Since then, Rodgers has been accused of disseminating “dangerous” misinformation about COVID and being an arrogant, narcissistic diva with a persecution complex.

While Woodley is not a wife, and Rodgers has been in her life fewer than two years, people have wondered about the extent to which she shares his views or influences his interest in controversial treatments for COVID. Woodley is an avid environmentalist who has talked extensively about her belief in alternative medicines. In interviews, she also has praised the use of natural, herbal remedies, including the wonders of eating clay to help “clean heavy metals out of your body.”

Woodley’s defenders have said it’s “misogynistic” to blame her for Rodgers’ choices. Sports podcaster Ti Windisch said on Twitter in November. “Don’t do that. I know GB fans have been trying to pin Packer problems on his significant others for years now, but Rodgers is a big boy who makes his own decisions.”

Up until Woodley’s “source” spoke to People Tuesday, the “Big Little Lies” star has said nothing publicly about Rodgers’ anti-vaccination controversy. She only took to social media in November to slam a Daily Mail report that misidentified Rodgers in photos and accusing him of breaking quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.

But to many, Woodley’s snarky, expletive-loaded criticism struck many as tone-deaf, especially after she seemed to use the occasion to joke about Rodgers’ physical attributes. She also came across as oblivious to many people’s public health concerns about Rodgers’ anti-vaccination comments or the way her own reputation in the film and TV industry was being affected by her association with such a polarizing fiancé.

This week, Woodley was caught up in the schadenfreude over the Packers’ loss to the 49ers. The fan account, Shailene Woodley Updates, also retweeted a post saying it was “sexism” to “drag” Woodley because of the Packers’ playoff loss or because of Rodgers’ anti-vaccination views, but at the same time the account said: “Shailene sweetie now is the time to announce you dumped him months ago.”

Shailene sweetie now is the time to announce you dumped him months ago

— Shailene Woodley Updates (@PlanetShailene) January 23, 2022