Earlier this month, the New York Jets quarterback suggested during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” that the long-time late-night personality might appear on Jeffrey Epstein’s damning associates list — and that he’d celebrate if that was the case. A week and one Epstein list release later, that wasn’t the case.
“Of course my name wasn’t on it, and isn’t on it and won’t ever be on it,” Kimmel said Monday, echoing his initial response to Rodgers’ claim. “I don’t know Jeffrey Epstein, I’ve never met Jeffrey Epstein. I’m not on a list, I was not on a plane or an island or anything ever.”
Kimmel told his audience that conspiracy theories about the company he keeps (ahem, “Pizzagate”) harm more than than just himself, but also the people closest to him. Rodgers, he said, has only caused more harm on that front.
Monday’s monologue wasn’t the first time Kimmel fired shots at the football star. In March 2023, the late-night personality poked fun at Rodgers’ “wacko idea” that reports about UFOs were meant to distract from the Epstein list. Kimmel also previously chided Rodgers for his controversial comments about the COVID-19 vaccine in 2021.
“Aaron Rodgers has a very high opinion of himself — because he had success on the football field, he believes himself to be an extraordinary being,” Kimmel continued. “He genuinely thinks that because God gave him the ability to throw a ball that he’s smarter than everyone else. The idea that his brain is just average is unfathomable to him.”
Kimmel’s scathing comments didn’t stop there, as he ridiculed Rodgers’ intelligence (“Aaron got two A’s on his report card, they were both in the word ‘Aaron’”) and his side gigs (“They let him host ‘Jeopardy’ for two weeks, now he knows everything”).
He added: “Aaron Rodgers is too arrogant to know how ignorant he is.”
While Kimmel said he supports athletes voicing their opinions on non-sports matters, he clarified that “saying someone is a pedophile is not an opinion, nor is it trash talk.” For more than 20 years, the late-night show has had its fair share of snide remarks and biting commentary, but “we don’t make up lies,” Kimmel said, shouting out the writers and fact-checkers who help craft every episode.
The late-night star concluded his bit on Rodgers saying that he would move on from the drama if the Jets player apologized. However, he conceded that might not be likely.
“My guess is he won’t apologize; I hope I’m wrong,” Kimmel said.
Rodgers is reportedly set to bring the feud full circle with his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, where he will address his public spat with Kimmel.
“I’m going to talk about it [Tuesday] on the show,” he told reporters on Monday, according to Newsweek. “Tune in.”