Executives at ESPN are clearly displeased with Jets QB Aaron Rodgers’ insinuation that late night host Jimmy Kimmel might find himself on Jeffrey Epstein’s client list.
On Wednesday, Pat McAfee, host of the Pat McAfee Show where Rodgers made the comments, sought to quiet any ruffled feathers and avert any potential legal action after Rodgers said he would “pop some kind of bottle” if Kimmel showed up on the client list of pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
“There are a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, that are really hoping that doesn’t come out,” Rodgers said in the video.
NEW: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers says he will pop "some sort of bottle" when the Epstein associates list is released and suggests Jimmy Kimmel will be named.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 2, 2024
Everyone is excited 🔥
“There’s a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel are really hoping that doesn't come out.”
“I'll… pic.twitter.com/JRzjznVM7T
Kimmel fired back at Rodgers by threatening a lawsuit.
Dear Aasshole: 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. Your reckless… https://t.co/p8eug12uiS
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) January 2, 2024
McAfee said he understood why Kimmel was upset but downplayed the event, saying that Rodgers was just “talking sh*t.”
“There is no formal outline of what we’re going to talk about [and] how we’re going to talk about it,” McAfee said. “There is no scheduled conversations, there is no scheduled debates, there is no topics for you to think about before you get in there.
“There is just an opportunity to talk about damn near everything for three and a half hours and in doing so … good times can be had, laughter can be had … and on the flip side, there can be things that are certainly, probably — we’re going to have to hear from Aaron on that — meant to be s–t talk joke that can then become something that is obviously a very serious allegation that then leads to a massive overnight story.”
We like our show to be an uplifting one.#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/bbT65oZQNN
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 3, 2024
McAfee added, “Now, do I think it went too far? … Jimmy Kimmel certainly said that was the case.”
McAfee expressed hope that Rodgers and Kimmel could come to some form of reconciliation.
“So, we apologized for being a part of it,” McAfee continued. “I can’t wait to see what Aaron has to say about it.
“Hopefully those two will just be able to settle this — not court-wise, but be able to chit-chat and move along because, remember, you’re allowed to disagree with other people’s opinions.”
Opinions are one thing; allegations of being part of a child sex trafficking ring are quite another. It remains to be seen whether McAfee’s attempt at mollification succeeded. Rodgers has not yet responded to Kimmel’s threat of legal action.
