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Jimmy Kimmel isn’t joking around when it comes to recent comments outspoken NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers made about the popular late night host. In fact, he’s threatened to sue the former Super Bowl champion.

Rodgers, 40, suggested during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on January 2 that Kimmel is connected to the “list” of associates of Jeffrey Epstein, the former financier arrested on sex-trafficking charges in 2019. Rodgers didn’t mention a reason or evidence to support linking Kimmel to the list, and the 56-year-old comedian hasn’t appeared in the documents that have been released.

But, not surprisingly, the comments angered Kimmel, who said in a social media post he would take Rodgers to court if he continued to make statements that are potentially defamatory. Their eye-opening interactions marked the escalation of a spat that, although relatively lighthearted prior to this incident, has been ongoing for years between the athlete and TV personality.

What Did Rodgers Originally Say About Kimmel?

Getty ImagesAaron Rodgers appears at a New York Jets game in Miami Gardens, Florida, in December 2022.

The “list” in question refers to a collection of documents related to a defamation suit against Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former associate and girlfriend, that a judge ordered to be unsealed after January 1. The has process received plenty of attention in recent weeks, as the documents were expected to reveal the names of alleged co-conspirators, victims, and witnesses pertaining to Epstein’s charges.

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Epstein was found dead inside his prison cell in August 2019 before standing trial. His death was ruled a suicide.

As of Tuesday, according to CBS News, three sets of documents have been released. A number of high-profile names have appeared in connection to Epstein but in a non-criminal manner. Kimmel’s name wasn’t included in any of the documents.

Rodgers’ comments came before any documents were made public. A reoccurring guest on McAfee’s podcast, he began discussing their anticipated release with McAfee and co-host A.J. Hawk, both former NFL players, on the January 2 episode. “There’s a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, that are really hoping [the list] doesn’t come out,” Rodgers told McAfee and Hawk. He later added, “I’ll tell you what, if that list comes out, I definitely will be popping, popping some sort of bottle.”

How Did Kimmel Respond?

On January 2 in a post to X (formerly Twitter), Kimmel vehemently denied any connection to Epstein and called Rodgers a “soft-brained wacko” for his comments. “I’ve not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact whatsoever with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any ‘list’… Your reckless words put my family in danger. Keep it up and we will debate the facts further in court,” Kimmel wrote.

Then on Monday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host addressed the situation and his X post during his opening monologue. “[The list] did come out and, of course, my name wasn’t on it and isn’t on it and won’t ever be on it. I don’t know Jeffrey Epstein, I’ve never met Jeffrey Epstein. I’m not on a list, I was not on a plane or an island or anything ever,” Kimmel told the audience. He later called Rodgers a “hamster-brained man.”

Kimmel, who acknowledged he has poked fun at the quarterback in the past, further explained that any jokes on his show are fact-checked and sourced for accuracy. “When I do get something wrong, which happens on rare occasions, you know what I do? I apologize for it—which is what Aaron Rodgers should do,” Kimmel said. “Which is what a decent person would do, but I bet he won’t. If he does, you know what I’ll do? I’ll accept his apology and move on.”

Notably, The Pat McAfee Show is broadcast on ESPN—a property of the The Walt Disney Company along with ABC, which broadcasts Kimmel’s eponymous talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! According to reporter Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, an ESPN spokesperson said Friday that Rodgers “made a dumb and factually inaccurate joke about Jimmy Kimmel. It should never have happened.” (Editor’s note: Biography.com’s parent company, Hearst, owns a minority stake in ESPN.)

Now, Rodgers has been dropped from the podcast

McAfee first addressed the controversy on the January 3 episode of his podcast and expressed hope that Rodgers and Kimmel could settle their rift without going to court. “I can see exactly why Jimmy Kimmel felt the way he felt, especially with his position,” he said. “But I think Aaron was just trying to talk s––. Now, did it go too far in a lot of people’s [minds]? Jimmy Kimmel certainly said that was the case… Some things, obviously, people get very pissed off about, especially when they’re that serious allegations, so we apologize for being a part of it.”