âJimmy Kimmel Live!â talk show host Jimmy Kimmel addressed a claim made by New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers during his broadcast about Kimmelâs ties to late convicted sex trafficker Jeffery Epstein.
On Monday, Kimmel, 56, addressed Rodgers,â 40, accusation against him concerning the newly released list of high-profile people rumored to have been linked with Epstein at the top of his âfirst show of 2024.â
âHe said I was hoping it wouldnât and that he was going to pop a bottle of something to celebrate when he did, and then it did come out, and of course, my name wasnât on it and isnât on it, and wonât ever be on. I donât know Jeffrey Epstein, Iâve never met Jeffrey Epstein,â Kimmel explained.
He continued, âIâm not on the list. I was not on a plane or an island or anything ever, and I suggested that if Aaron wanted to make false and very damaging statements like that, we should do it in court so that he can share his proof with like a judge.â
Additionally, Kimmel noted that âa lot of delusional people honestly believeâ he is âmeeting up with Tom Hanks and Oprah at Shakeyâs once a week to eat pizza and drink the blood of children.â
âIâm not one of those people who think athletes and members of the sports media should stick to talking about sports,â Kimmel later clarified. âI think Aaron Rodgers has the right to express any opinion he wants to.â
However, he stated that Rodgersâ claim âis not an opinionâ or âtrash talkâ per the words of ESPN host Pat McAfee, who addressed the allegations Rodgers made during his appearance on his show the âPat McAfee Showâ on Jan. 2.
Kimmel continued:
âAnd as far as the âWell, you say things about people all the timeâ argument goes, yes, I do. Itâs not the same. Itâs not even close to the same. We say a lot of things on this show. We donât make up lies. In fact, we have a team of people who work very hard to sift through facts and reputable sources before I make a joke, and thatâs an important distinction â a joke about someone.â
Furthermore, he said Rodgers should apologize for his misinformation.
âWhich is what a decent person would do, but I bet he wonât. If he does, you know what Iâll do? Iâll accept his apology and move on, but he probably wonât do that,â he told the audience.
However, Kimmel said, âMy guess is that he wonât apologize. I hope Iâm wrong.â
This came after Rodgers accused Kimmel of being on the Epstein list while on McAfeeâs show.
âThereâs a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, are hoping that doesnât come out,â he alleged.
Hours later, Kimmel responded to Rodgersâ claim on X, formerly Twitter.
âDear Aasshole: for the record, Iâve not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact whatsoever with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any âlistâ other than the clearly-phony nonsense that soft-brained wackos like yourself canât seem to distinguish from reality,â he wrote.
Kimmel also threatened to sue him over his allegation.
âYour reckless words put my family in danger. Keep it up and we will debate the facts further in court .â