Who is Ben Volavola, Shailene Woodley’s ex-boyfriend – and why did the rugby international player and Big Little Lies star break up?

Hollywood actress Shailene Woodley has always been known for her outspoken and straightforward nature, whether regarding her personal life, the industry she’s in, or the state of the world. When it comes to American politics, the Fault in Our Stars actress has been quite open about her support of Bernie Sanders in the past – but a recent social media repost may have brought her views into question.

Later, in an interview with Bustle, Woodley opened up about the controversy surrounding her repost, clarifying her show of support: “I posted that letter because I thought it was a beautiful message of human compassion.” She also emphasised that she “only posted the first page of it, because the second page was more political”.

While the 32-year-old did not expressly reveal her current political inclinations, she asserted, “My beliefs are pretty well-known by the things that I have done publicly in the quote-unquote activist world.” The Divergent star has indeed contributed significantly to raising awareness about environmental issues through organisations like Greenpeace, Conservation International and Bernie Sanders’ progressive political action organisation, Our Revolution.

In the same Bustle interview, Woodley spoke about “[falling] in love over and over with unavailability”. The comment came on the heels of her break-up with ex-fiancé NFL star Aaron Rodgers in 2022.

However, there was an earlier time when she was the unavailable one – during her relationship with another sportsperson, Ben Volavola. So what do we know about him?

What is Ben Volavola’s background?

Ben Volavola was reportedly born on January 13, 1991, in Sydney, Australia, to Fijian parents Dinesh Shankar, who has Indian roots, and author Ema Volavola, daughter of former Suva Mayor, Captain Ratu Peni Volavola.