The nastiness between New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and late night TV host Jimmy Kimmel reached a fever pitch after a recent appearance from the former Packers QB on The Pat McAfee Show, but the two haven't been the biggest fans of each other for a while.
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During one of his weekly appearances on McAfee's YouTube show, Rodgers was asked about soon-to-be unsealed court filings surrounding Jeffrey Epstein. Without any coercion, Rodgers suggested that Kimmel's name might appear on some of those unsealed documents.
"There's a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, really hoping that doesn't come out," Rodgers said. "I'll tell you what, if that list comes out, I definitely will be popping some sort of bottle,"
Shortly after the video of Rodgers went viral, Kimmel took to X to defend himself and his family.
Dear Aasshole: 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. Your reckless… https://t.co/p8eug12uiS
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) January 2, 2024
"Dear Aasshole: 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. Your reckless words put my family in danger. Keep it up and we will debate the facts further in court," Kimmel wrote.
While the two are publicly attacking each other now, this isn't the first time that the two have clashed in the headlines.
When Did Aaron Rodgers and Jimmy Kimmel's Beef Start?
Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images
The feud between Rodgers and Kimmel seemingly began back in November of 2021, when the then-Packers quarterback tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to miss the team's game against the Kansas City Chiefs while revealing his vaccination status. The news stole headlines for weeks after Rodgers had previously stated that he had been "immunized", but had indeed not received the vaccine.
Multiple media outlets and personalities, including Kimmel, piled on Rodgers following the story. The late-night TV host even spent some time during his own show to crack some jokes at the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
"Here's the thing I don't get: you won't take the vaccine, but you will take ivermectin?" Kimmel asked during the show. "Good ole ivermectin, there's a product I can trust. How does someone who almost hosted Jeopardy come up with 40 incorrect responses in a row. The great MLK said you have a moral obligation to object to unjust rules and rules that make no sense. But you didn't object; you pretended you were vaccinated and snuck around. Always a good move for a white millionaire to half-quote Dr Martin Luther King, by the way."
Kimmel came back with additional jokes in early 2023 after Rodgers discussed his theories about UFOs on The Pat McAfee Show, calling Rodgers a "tin foil hatter" for his constant conspiracy theories. Rodgers' teammate at the time, Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari, then took to Twitter to suggest that Kimmel had some association with Epstein.
Tell me you’re on the Jeffrey Epstein client list, without telling me you’re on the Jeffrey Epstein client list…. https://t.co/jWkL8LfOMT
— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) March 3, 2023
Those jokes from Kimmel's show haven't been forgotten by Rodgers, who decided to take aim at the TV star at the very start of the new year. Rodgers has yet to respond to Kimmel's threats of going to court, but it's only a matter of time before the current Jets quarterback responds.
