CNN
—
Jimmy Kimmel used his late present monologue Monday to deal with an unfounded allegation just lately lodged towards him by NFL star Aaron Rodgers.
For greater than seven minutes, Kimmel spoke about Rodgers, who last week suggested without support during an appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” that Kimmel is likely to be named in paperwork figuring out associates of Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted pedophile who died in jail earlier than he might face trial on federal intercourse trafficking costs.
It was a baseless allegation, Kimmel mentioned, and he let or not it’s recognized on the high of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Stay!” that because the Epstein listing has come out, “after all, my identify isn’t on it and gained’t ever be on it.”
“I don’t know Jeffrey Epstein, I’ve by no means met Jeffrey Epstein,” Kimmel said throughout his first dwell present of the brand new 12 months. “I’m not on a listing. I used to be not on a airplane or an island or something ever, and I instructed that if Aaron needed to make false and really damaging statements like, that we should always do it in courtroom so he can share his proof with, like, a decide.”
Kimmel went on to level on the market sadly are some who imagine the issues the injured New York Jets quarterback says, at the same time as he questioned whether or not Rodgers himself truly believes them.
“Both he truly believes my identify was going to be on Epstein’s listing – which is insane – or the extra doubtless situation is he doesn’t truly imagine that and he simply mentioned it as a result of he’s mad at me for making enjoyable of his high knot and his lies about being vaccinated,” Kimmel mentioned of the well-known vaccine skeptic.
Kimmel went on to share a clip of himself making enjoyable of Rodgers for having “floated this whacko concept” that information of latest UFO sightings aimed to distract from the Epstein listing.
“That is how these nuts do it now,” Kimmel mentioned. “For those who don’t like Trump, you’re a pedophile. … It reveals you ways a lot they care about pedophilia.”
“The reality nonetheless issues,” Kimmel added later. “And once I do get one thing improper, which occurs on uncommon events, what I do? I apologize for it – which is what Aaron Rodgers ought to do, which is what an honest particular person would do. However I guess he gained’t. If he does, what I’ll do? I’ll settle for his apology and transfer on. However he most likely gained’t do this.”
Rodgers was requested earlier Monday if he had any regrets about what he’d mentioned.
“Yeah, I’m gonna discuss it tomorrow on the present,” he mentioned at a Jets information convention. “Tune in.”
Epstein, who died by suicide in jail in 2019, had been accused in a federal indictment of working a intercourse trafficking ring of underage women, some as younger as 14.
CNN has reached out to a rep for Rodgers for remark. McAfee has apologized for Rodgers’ claims on his present.
Kimmel on Monday additionally mentioned Rodgers has a “Thanksgiving Day parade-sized ego.”
“I spent years doing sports activities. I’ve seen guys like him earlier than. Aaron Rodgers has a really excessive opinion of himself. As a result of he had success on the soccer area, he believes himself to be a unprecedented being,” Kimmel mentioned. “He genuinely thinks that as a result of God gave him the power to throw a ball, he’s smarter than everybody else. The concept that his mind is simply common is unfathomable to him.”
And Kimmel provided up some zingers about Rodgers: “They let him host ‘Jeopardy’ for 2 weeks, now he is aware of the whole lot,” he joked.
It is a creating story and shall be up to date.