Jimmy Kimmel Is Waiting For “Hamster-Brained” Aaron Rodgers To Apologize For His Jeffrey Epstein Claim: “He Probably Won’t Do That”

Jimmy Kimmel is still waiting on an apology from Aaron Rodgers, who came under fire last week after he insinuated that the comedian was tied to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

On Monday night’s (Jan. 8) episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel devoted his entire opening monologue to discussing his beef with Rodgers, whom he referred to at one point as a “hamster-brained man.”

Their feud began after Rodgers told ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show that he would “definitely be popping some sort of bottle” once Epstein’s “list” of associates was unveiled to the public, adding, “there are a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, that are really hoping that doesn’t come out.”

Kimmel swiftly responded to the comment on X, telling the Jets quarterback that they could “debate the facts further in court” if he continued to suggest that he was in any way connected to Epstein.

“Of course, my name wasn’t on it and isn’t on it, and won’t ever be on,” Kimmel recapped to his audience on Monday. “I don’t know Jeffrey Epstein, I’ve never met Jeffrey Epstein. I’m not on the list. I was not on a plane or an island or anything ever, and I suggested that if Aaron wanted to make false and very damaging statements like that, we should do it in court so that he can share his proof with a judge.”

The late-night host, who has mocked Rodgers in previous episodes, then speculated that he might have made the accusation as a way to “retaliate” against past jokes, adding that Rodgers “believes himself to be an extraordinary being” because he can throw a football.

“I’m not one of those people who think athletes and members of the sports media should stick to talking about sports,” he said. “I think Aaron Rodgers has the right to express any opinion he wants to. But saying someone is a pedophile is not an opinion, nor is it trash talk.”

Jimmy’s thoughts on quarterback Karen Rodgers… pic.twitter.com/mRh5VRUycz

— Jimmy Kimmel Live (@JimmyKimmelLive) January 9, 2024

While Kimmel often cracks jokes about other people on his show, he argued that what he does is “not even close to the same” as what Rodgers did.

“We say a lot of things on this show. We don’t make up lies,” he said. “In fact, we have a team of people who work very hard to sift through facts and reputable sources before I make a joke, and that’s an important distinction — a joke about someone.”

Kimmel also noted that he has no problem apologizing on the “rare occasions” that he gets something wrong.

“Which is what Aaron Rodgers should do. Which is what a decent person would do, but I bet he won’t,” he speculated. “If he does, you know what I’ll do? I’ll accept his apology and move on, but he probably won’t do that. My guess is that he won’t apologize. I hope I’m wrong.”

Luckily for Kimmel, an apology might be in the works. When Rodgers was asked if he had any regrets about his comments during a press conference on Monday, he replied, “I’m going to talk about it tomorrow on [The Pat McAfee Show]. Tune in.”