Aaron Rodgers takes Epstein-related dig at Jimmy Kimmel; late-night host fires back
Jimmy Kimmel, Aaron Rodgers (Photo by Mindy Small/Getty Images) (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers took a dig at comedian Jimmy Kimmel and said the late-night talk show host’s name would appear on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s client list.
Rodgers made the remark during his weekly spot on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday, and it appeared to be just another page in the ongoing feud between the two.
"There’s a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, who are really hoping that doesn’t come out," Rodgers said. "I'll tell you what, if that list comes out, I definitely will be popping some sort of bottle."
Kimmel, whose show runs on ABC, took a shot at Rodgers in March before he was traded to the Jets when he talked about theories of UFOs being shot down in the midst of the Chinese spy balloon scandal.
"Needless to say, all this UFO talk has the tinfoil-hatters going wild, including Green Bay whack Packer Aaron Rodgers, who offered this hot take on ‘The Pat McAfee Show,’" Kimmel said before leading into a clip where Rodgers made note of potential names of Jeffrey Epstein’s client list being released.
"Might be time to revisit that concussion protocol," Kimmel quipped.
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Kimmel didn’t appear to be laughing at the jab he took from Rodgers on McAfee’s show and threatened to get lawyers involved if he kept it up.
"For the record, I’ve not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact whatsoever with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any ‘list’ other than the clearly-phony nonsense that soft-brained wackos like yourself can’t seem to distinguish from reality," Kimmel wrote on X. "Your reckless words put my family in danger. Keep it up and we will debate the facts further in court."
Nearly 200 names that had previously been redacted from court documents in a lawsuit against Epstein's former lover and accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell will soon be made public after a federal judge in New York ordered their unsealing last month.
U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska issued a 51-page order in explanation for her reasoning on whether to unseal or continue to redact the names of about 180 John and Jane Does, giving some clues as to who they may be.
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Some of the names were previously known through other means despite having been withheld from the public's eye in the lawsuit. Many had publicly known ties to Epstein. Others on the list include his alleged victims, who were taken to his private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands or one of his mansions in New York City and Florida.
Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein accuser who said that he trafficked her as a minor in the early 2000s, sued Maxwell in 2015. The parties settled out of court in 2017. Epstein had relationships with numerous influential figures, from politicians, including former presidents and prime ministers, to Hollywood stars, leading academics and the U.K.'s Prince Andrew, whom Giuffre also sued.
Fox News’ Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.