Pat McAfee apologized after Aaron Rodgers claimed on his show that Jimmy Kimmel was on a list of people associated with the late Jeffrey Epstein.
McAfee, 36, addressed the controversy during the Wednesday, January 3, episode of his self-titled show on ESPN and suggested it was a joke that went too far.
“I can see exactly how Jimmy Kimmel felt especially with his position, but I think Aaron was trying to talk s–t. Now, did it go too far? Jimmy Kimmel certainly said that was the case,” McAfee said. “We obviously don’t like to be associated with anything negative ever. We’d like our show to be an uplifting one, a happy one, a fun one, but it’s because we talk s–t and try to make light of everything.”
During the Tuesday, January 2, episode of McAfee’s show, Rodgers, 40, discussed a conspiracy theory that claims the NFL’s Super Bowl emblems predict which teams will play in the big game that season. Cohost AJ Hawk jokingly asked whether the quarterback’s point had anything to do with an alleged list of Epstein’s associates.
“There’s a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, who are really hoping that list doesn’t come out,” Rodgers responded.
McAfee interjected that the late-night talk show host and the New York Jets quarterback have an ongoing feud. He mentioned that Kimmel, 56, previously poked fun at Rodgers for his interest in the theory and joked that the athlete was “waiting in his wine cellar” for the news.
“I’ll tell you what, if that list comes out, I will definitely be popping some sort of bottle,” Rodgers replied.
McAfee apologized for his show’s role in the controversy on Wednesday. “Some things obviously people get very pissed off about, especially when they’re serious allegations,” he said, “So, we apologize for being a part of it. I can’t wait to hear what Aaron 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.”
McAfee added that Rodgers needs to explain his comments, stating, “He’s gonna have to clarify that for us.”
Following Rodgers’ appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Kimmel denied he was associated with Epstein. He also publicly threatened to sue Rodgers over his remarks.
“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 wrote via X on Tuesday. “Your reckless words put my family in danger. Keep it up and we will debate the facts further in court. @AaronRodgers12.”
Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors in Florida and New York. He died in his jail cell in August 2019.. The medical examiner ruled that his death was a suicide by hanging.