Jimmy Kimmel is demanding an apology from Aaron Rodgers after claiming the late-night talk show host had an affair with Jeffrey Epstein.
Kimmel, 56, opened his latest Jimmy Kimmel Live! broadcast with monologue entirely dedicated to the quarterback of the New York Jets40. “Thanks for joining us for the first show of 2024, which is already a crazy year, especially for me,” Kimmel said at the beginning of the segment.
As the studio audience answered “Yes” when asked if they had heard about the situation, Kimmel reminded his viewers that Rodgers made the statement during appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, ahead of the release of a list containing the names of high-profile people rumored to be connected to Epstein. Kimmel’s name did not appear on the list.
Jimmy Kimmel during the talk show’s latest monologue.
Jimmy Kimmel live/X
Jimmy Kimmel slams ‘reckless’ Aaron Rodgers, threatens to sue over Jeffrey Epstein claims
“He said I hope he doesn’t and he’s going to pop a bottle of something to celebrate when he does, and then it came out, and of course, my name wasn’t on it and it’s not on it and it’s never going to appear. I don’t know Jeffrey Epstein, never I haven’t met him,” Kimmel said.
“I’m not on the list. I wasn’t on the plane or on the island or anything, and I suggested that if Aaron wants to make false and very damaging statements like that, we do it in court so he can share his evidence with the judge.”
Kimmel joked that the athlete may have made the allegations because he had mocked him in previous monologues.
Pat McAfee apologizes after Aaron Rodgers claimed Jimmy Kimmel had ties to Jeffrey Epstein
“I’m not one of those people who thinks that athletes and members of the sports media should continue to talk about sports. I think Aaron Rodgers has the right to express whatever opinion he wants,” Kimmel continued, adding that Rodgers’ claims “are not an opinion or considered dumb talk .”
“And as for the ‘Well, you keep saying things about people,’ yeah, I do. It’s not the same. It’s not even close to the same,” Kimmel said. “We say a lot of things on this show. We don’t make up lies. In fact, we have a team of people who work very hard to sift through the facts and reputable sources before I make a joke, and that’s an important difference — a joke about someone.”
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Aaron Rodgers before the 2023 Pro Hall of Fame Game against the Cleveland Browns at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on August 3, 2023 in Canton, Ohio.
Nick Cammett/Getty
The talk show host said that he pays equal attention to everyone he mentions and that he apologizes when he does something wrong.
“What Aaron Rodgers should do,” Kimmel added. “What a decent person would do, but I bet he won’t. If he does, you know what I’ll do? I’ll accept his apology and move on, but he probably won’t. My guess is he won’t apologize. I hope I’m wrong. ”
His comments reflected his feelings on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday after Rodgers’ interview clip went viral. Host Pat McAfee also spoke about the prospect, expressing that his ESPN show doesn’t “like to be associated with anything negative.”
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When asked about the situation during a press conference Monday, Rodgers urged questioners to watch McAfee’s upcoming show, saying, “I’ll talk about it tomorrow on the show. Tune in.”
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Source: HIS Education