Jimmy Kimmel Takes on Aaron Rodgers' 'Hamster-Brained' Epstein Comments, No Apology Expected

"Have you heard the story about me and Aaron Rodgers, the ex-Packers quarterback?" Kimmel mentioned. "Here's what happened - now the Jets quarterback, he went on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN and suddenly suggested that I was nervous about the release of the Jeffrey Epstein list. He claimed that I hoped it wouldn't come out and that he was going to celebrate with a bottle of something when it did."

Kimmel stated that he "obviously" had no ties to the disgraced financier, who died in prison in 2019 after being arrested on federal charges for sex trafficking of minors. "I don't know Jeffrey Epstein, I've never met him, I'm not on the list, I've never been on a plane or island or anything. I recommended that if Aaron wanted to make false and harmful statements like that, we should do it in court so he could present his evidence to a judge," he continued. "When you have a guy who has won a Super Bowl and starred in all the State Farm commercials making claims like this, a lot of people believe it."

Kimmel speculated that Rodgers "holds one of two beliefs. Either he genuinely thinks my name was going to appear on Epstein's list, which is preposterous. Or the more probable scenario is that he doesn't truly believe that, and he only said it out of anger towards me for mocking his top knot and his dishonesty about being vaccinated."

Kimmel suggested that Rodgers' accusations were a form of "retaliation" for feeling "ridiculed," but he wasn't concerned. "I've spent years covering sports. I've encountered guys like him before," Kimmel stated. "Aaron Rodgers holds himself in very high regard. Due to his success on the football field, he sees himself as someone extraordinary. He genuinely believes that, because he has been given the talent to throw a ball, he is more intelligent than everyone else. It's inconceivable to him that he might simply have an average intellect. We found out during the pandemic that, somehow, he considers himself more knowledgeable about science than actual scientists." (Rodgers had previously stated that he wanted to conduct his own "research" on the vaccine and argued that the NFL's vaccination regulations were an attempt to "shame people.")

"Imagine a guy like Aaron Rodgers, who thinks he knows all about the government just because he watches YouTube and listens to podcasts. He's so full of himself, thinking he's knowledgeable just because he hosted Jeopardy! for a while. I don't mind athletes expressing their opinions, but there's a limit. Accusing someone of being a pedophile is not just an opinion, it's not even close to the jokes I make on this show. The truth still matters."

Kimmel stated, "And on the rare occasion that I do make a mistake, you know what I do? I apologize for it. That's what Aaron Rodgers should do. That's what a decent person would do. But I doubt he will. If he does, I will accept his apology and move on. But I don't think he will."

On January 2, Kimmel criticized Rodgers in a tweet after Rodgers' appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. "Your irresponsible words endangered my family. Keep it up and we will discuss the facts in court further. @AaronRodgers12," he tweeted.

"Jimmy Kimmel was in a tough position, but I believe Aaron was intentionally trying to cause trouble. Did it cross a line? According to Jimmy Kimmel, it certainly did," McAfee commented on January 3. "We always strive to avoid any negative associations. Our goal is to make our show positive, enjoyable, and lighthearted, but sometimes we engage in banter and try to bring humor to everything."