Aaron Rodgers denies calling Jimmy Kimmel a paedophile

Aaron Rodgers has attempted to walk back his recent claim that talk show host Jimmy Kimmel could be named on the list of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s client list.

Last week, the NFL star appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN and said of the Epstein documents: “There’s a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, really hoping that doesn’t come out.”

Kimmel subsequently “denied any contact whatsoever” with the disgraced financier in a statement posted on X/Twitter, while condemning Rodgers’s “reckless words”.

Bill Clinton, Richard Branson, and Prince Andrew are among 100 people named in newly unsealed court documents linked to the disgraced financier Epstein, who died in a New York jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. All vigorously deny any wrongdoing. Kimmel, meanwhile, does not appear on the list.

Now, Rodgers has returned to The Pat McAfee Show to claim he never meant to imply Kimmel was a paedophile.

“I totally understand how serious an allegation of paedophilia would be. So him to be upset about that, I get it,” said Rodgers. “I’m not stupid enough – even though you think I’m an idiot, and you’ve made a lot of comments about my intelligence – but I’m not stupid enough to accuse you of that with absolutely zero evidence, concrete evidence. That’s ridiculous.”

The quarterback added: “So I’m glad, and I think we can agree on something, it’s that, one: those crimes are heinous; and two: I’m glad you’re not on a list because those who are on this list – and this I think we can agree on – that, at minimum, there should be an inquiry into their involvement. Especially if they went to the island. And at maximum, there should be an investigation into it.”

Rodgers argued that his reference to Kimmel was in fact due to the fact that the host had previously mocked him as a “tin foil hatter” in response to his remarks about UFOs and the Epstein list on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in March 2023.

“I was referring to the fact that, if there’s a list – which again, this hasn’t come out yet, this is just a deposition – and there are names on it, then that would be the second time that a soft brain, junior college student, wacko, anti-vax, antisemite, purveyor, spreader of misinformation, conspiracy theorist, MAGA, whatever other things have been said by him and the media, would be right twice,” said Rodgers.

On last night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel delivered a seven-minute roast of “hamster-brained” Rodgers.

“I don’t know Jeffrey Epstein. I’ve never met Jeffrey Epstein. I was not on a list, or a plane, or an island or anything ever,” the host began. “I suggested that if Aaron wanted to make false and very damaging statements like that, that we should do it in court so he could share his proof with, like, a judge.

“Because when you hear a guy who won a Super Bowl and did all the State Farm commercials say something like this, a lot of people believe him. A lot of delusional people honestly believe that I am meeting up with Tom Hanks and Oprah at Shakey’s once a week to eat pizza and drink the blood of children,” he finished.