Aaron Rodgers & Jimmy Kimmel Beef Explained: COVID-19, Jeff Epstein & More

If there was one thing that people have seemingly anticipated in 2024, it’s the unveiling of the Jeffrey Epstein list, though it’s already caused a rift between NFL star Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets and late-night-talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. The two haven’t necessarily seen eye-to-eye. This is largely due to Rodgers’ often right-leaning views and conspiratorial takes. However, things took a turn for the worse on Tuesday. Rodgers appeared on The Pat McAfee Show where the topic of the Epstein list came up. But while discussing the laundry list of high-profile names attached to the disgraced late financier, Rodgers insinuated that Jimmy Kimmel may have been associated with Epstein. Ultimately, Kimmel threatened to take legal action against the NFL star. In the wake of their back-and-forth, we’re diving into the timeline of their beef.

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After Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19, it was revealed that he actually misled the public surrounding his vaccination status. Apparently, Rodgers wasn’t entirely truthful when he stated that he was “immunized.” Additionally, he also revealed that he preferred homeopathic treatment. 

“We should have known because nothing says ‘I heal myself with crystals like this haircut. I mean, a little not on top,'” Kimmel said on Jimmy Kimmel Live. In the same segment, he referred to Rodgers as a “Karen” before going in on Rodgers’ supposed immunization. “The only thing worse than not getting vaccinated when you’re in close proximity with other people is letting them think you’re vaccinated when you’re not,” Kimmel said. “It’s basically the COVID equivalent of ‘The condom fell off.'”

Within the same month, Rodgers continued to push anti-vaccination theories. He even went as far as saying that he got medical advice from Joe Rogan, who reportedly suggested that he use Ivermectin. Rodgers’ comments on The Pat McAfee Show rattled the internet, and his attack on the “woke mob” and “cancel culture” further aggravated people. He later compared himself to Martin Luther King Jr. through his efforts to push back against the NFL’s regulations surrounding COVID-19.

“You didn’t object. You pretended you were vaccinated and snuck around,” Jimmy Kimmel responded on his show. “Always a good move for a white millionaire to half-quote Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., by the way.” Kimmel also compared Rodgers to Kyrie Irving, another athlete who questioned COVID-19 protocols. “That’s not fair. Kyrie Irving is wrong, but at least he’s honest,” Kimmel said. “Aaron Rodgers let everyone around him think he was vaccinated. He’s not Kyrie Irving, he’s Bernie Madoff.”

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During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Aaron Rodgers discussed UFOs and the growing interest in extraterrestrials. Rodgers believed it might be some sort of distraction from the Epstein list. “There’s some files that have some names on it that might be getting released pretty soon,” Rodgers said. “(Ghislaine) Maxwell was the only person ever convicted of trafficking, and nobody who was involved in the trafficking ever went to jail, so nothing to see here.”

It didn’t take long for Kimmel to fire back at Rodgers. He not only referred to him as a messenger for the tin-foil hatters but also described him as a “Green Bay wack Packer.” "It might be time to revisit that concussion protocol, Aaron,” Kimmel said.

However, this comment swiftly led some to believe that Kimmel could be trying to downplay this supposed list. Rodgers's former teammate ​​David Bakhtiari initially alluded to an alleged link between Kimmel and Epstein shortly after. “Tell me you’re on the Jeffrey Epstein client list, without telling me you’re on the Jeffrey Epstein client list,” Bakhtiari wrote. Bakhtiari's unsubstantiated comment was later echoed by Rodgers on The Pat McAfee Show.

As people continue to anticipate the unveiling of the supposed Epstein list, Rodgers, once again, revisited the topic on The Pat McAfee Show on Jan. 2nd. However, he insinuated that we might see Jimmy Kimmel appear on the list, too. “That’s supposed to be coming out soon,” Rodgers said. “There are a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, that are really hoping that doesn’t come out.” While McAfee stated that Rodgers hasn’t let go of Kimmel’s comments, Rodgers revealed that celebrations might be in order when the list emerges. “I’ll let you what, if that list comes out, I will definitely popping some sort of bottle,” Rodgers concluded.

We’re sure that Jimmy Kimmel hoped that he’d be able to ease into the new year but his first tweet of 2024 came in the form of a response to Rodgers. Due to the weight of Rodgers's comments, Kimmel stated that he wouldn’t shy away from taking legal action if he continued. “Dear A—hole: 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,” Kimmel tweeted. “Your reckless words put my family in danger. Keep it up and we will debate the facts further in court @AaronRodgers12.” 

While we could imagine that Rodgers plans to remain mum on the topic, Pat McAfee came through with an apology for Jimmy Kimmel. During his monologue on Wednesday’s episode, he acknowledged the harm that came with Rodgers’ statements. “Some things obviously people get very pissed off about, especially when they’re that serious allegations,” McAfee said. “So we apologize for being a part of it. I can’t wait to hear what Aaron [Rodgers] has to say about it. Hopefully those two will just be able to settle this, you know, not work wise but be able to chit chat and move along.”

He added, “I can understand why Jimmy got incredibly upset, yeah, I definitely completely understand that, especially with his position, but also I think Aaron is like, ‘hey, this guy has said some stuff about me in his monologue’ and he’s just trying to shit talk.”

[Via]