Late night host Jimmy Kimmel's name did not appear in the recently released bombshell documents that named many associates of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Earlier this week, controversial New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers joked that Kimmel's name would appear in the court files during an interview on ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show.
Kimmel said in a response to X that he had never met Epstein and that Rodgers' “reckless words put my family in danger.” The comedian then threatened legal action.
During his show on Wednesday, McAfee called Rodgers' words a “s**t talk joke” that resulted in a “huge overnight story.”
“If you're freewheeling and trading here… your conversations can certainly lead to places that make international news. And when allegations are made about people, it can lead to lawsuits,” McAfee said.
Jimmy Kimmel resigned on Tuesday for the first time since he threatened to sue Aaron Rodgers
Kimmel has frequently focused on Aaron Rodgers' embrace of conspiracy theories in recent months
The QB joked that he was ready to celebrate the list's release on the Pat McAfee show
Pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's powerful friends and acquaintances were exposed as part of a massive exposé ordered by a judge just before the New Year
I think Aaron was just trying to talk. Did it go too far? Jimmy Kimmel certainly said this was the case. Aaron and Jimmy, they've been jousting a little bit,” he continued.
“We want our show to be uplifting, upbeat and fun, but because we try to make light of everything, some things make people very angry, especially when the allegations are so serious. So we apologize for being part of it.”
Before the documents were released, misinformation about their contents spread on social media, with false lists circulating on X that included Kimmel's name as one of Epstein's associates.
One false document claimed Kimmel had sex with a minor at Epstein's Palm Beach mansion after receiving a massage. There is no mention of Kimmel in the new documents.
“There are a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, who really hope this doesn't come to pass. I tell you what, if that list comes out, I will definitely be popping a bottle,” Rodgers said in the Zoom interview as he sat in his wine cellar.
“Dear A –: For the record, I have not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any “list” other than the patently bogus nonsense that gentle Freaks like you don't seem to from reality,” Kimmel quickly tweeted.
“Your reckless words put my family in danger. Keep up the good work and we will discuss the facts further in court,” he added.
McAfee has since apologized for Rodgers' comments, while the former Packers star, who has made headlines in recent years for his embrace of conspiracy theories, has yet to comment.
JJ Watt left the cast of Pat McAfee Show stunned with an awkward joke about Jeffrey Epstein
The late TV host angrily hit out at X, saying Rodgers' claims 'put my family in danger'
Among those responding to the controversy was Julie K. Brown, the Miami Herald investigative journalist who has reported on Epstein's crimes for years.
“Isn't it also aware that the Jeffrey Epstein case is about the rape of young girls? It is absolutely shameful that the network is allowing anyone to exploit this tragedy for cheap political fodder,” Brown said.
Following the apology, legendary NFL defensive player JJ Watt appeared on McAfee's show, where he made an ill-timed joke about the scandal.
Watt said he was not on the Epstein list amid the circulation surrounding the topic.
“My breaking news was actually that I know absolutely nothing about the Epstein list,” Watt said with a straight face. “But I don't want to get into trouble.”
McAfee rubbed his face as half the room remained silent at Watt's comments. Cast members chuckle uncomfortably as Watt laughs at his own joke.
They are heard exclaiming “JJ” before someone refers to him as a “son of ab***h.”
“I don't know anything, I don't want any fights, I don't need anyone calling me, I don't need any lawsuits, I don't know anything,” Watt added.
Dozens of previously sealed court documents related to Jeffrey Epstein were made public late Wednesday, as a court releases more details from a yearslong lawsuit linked to the late financier.
They are likely to disappoint sleuths online, where the plan to release documents sparked rumors of a list of “clients” or “co-conspirators.”
The judge who made the call even wrote in December that she was ordering the documents to be released because much of the information in them is already public.
The first 40 documents, of about 250 expected to eventually be unsealed, largely list figures whose names were already known, including high-profile friends of Epstein and victims who have spoken publicly.
The documents being unsealed are part of a 2015 lawsuit filed against Maxwell by one of Epstein's victims, Virginia Giuffre.
She is one of dozens of women who have sued Epstein for abusing them at his homes in Florida, New York, the U.S. Virgin Islands and New Mexico.
Giuffre said that the summer she turned 17, she was lured away from a job as a spa attendant at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club to become a “masseuse” for Epstein — a job that required sexual acts are performed.
Giuffre also claimed she was pressured to have sex with men in Epstein's social circle, which included Britain's Prince Andrew, former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, former US Senator George Mitchell and billionaire Glenn Dubin.
All those men said her accounts were made up.