Soccer star Megan Rapinoe is opening up about the tragic loss of a family member.
“I went home last year after my older brother Michael died,” Rapinoe, 40, told guest Abby Wambach during the Thursday, June 11, episode of her “A Touch More” podcast. “He had a long battle with alcoholism. … It was sad.”
Wambach, 46, pointed out that she and Rapinoe now both have brothers who died. (The former soccer pro’s eldest brother, Peter G. Wambach, Jr., died unexpectedly at age 51 in December 2023 due to complications of a heart attack.)
“I see the obsession and compulsion and addiction in myself and him too,” Rapinoe — who spent most of her career playing for Seattle Reign FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team before her retirement in 2023 — said while discussing with Wambach what their soccer careers have cost them in life.
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Rapinoe continued, “And it’s like you’re searching for something. And I just was thinking so much while I was home, like, ‘Wow, I can’t even remember the last time I was home for this long, not for a holiday or, you know, a wedding or something.’”
Wambach, who played for the U.S. women’s national team from 2003 to 2015, agreed that soccer caused her to miss some important life events.
“I think it gave me more than it cost me. So I just want to be clear on that. I do think it cost me relationships, and not like romantic ones, just like being able to relate to people because I was gone so often,” the New York native shared. “I had to miss one of my brother’s weddings, which feels like one of the bigger regrets because of soccer. It cost me time, development.”
While this was Rapinoe’s first time publicly talking about Michael’s death, the athlete previously opened up about her brother Brian’s struggles with drug addiction. Rapinoe has five siblings, including fraternal twin Rachael, half-siblings Michael and Jenny, older brother Brian and another sister. Brian was arrested for meth possession at age 15 and spent years in and out of the prison system before focusing on his sobriety.
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“For whatever reason, the drugs sunk their teeth into Brian. He didn’t need federal prison; he needed drug rehab,” Rapinoe told People in 2020.
In her memoir, One Life, Rapinoe wrote, “This is the truth about having a drug user in the family: the feeling of devastation never goes away.”
Rapinoe revealed her brother’s death two months after she and her now-ex and former podcast cohost, Sue Bird, announced their split after 10 years together.
“There really is no smooth or easy way to share this news,” the pair wrote via social media in April. “After a lot of thought, we’ve made the decision to separate as a couple. 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. 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.”
The statement continued, “We’re so grateful to this incredible community that has held us up, welcomed us in, and supported us exactly as we are. So many of you have reminded us, again and again, why loving out loud matters.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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