NEW YORK-. Aaron Rodgers, quarterback of the New York Jetsdenied having suggested that the comedian Jimmy Kimmel was a pedophile, and condemned those who make such an assumption.
However, the athlete did not apologize for his statements, which fueled a conflict with Kimmel.
Rodgers returned to ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday for his weekly appearance. There, he addressed comments he made the previous week, in which he seemed to suggest that Kimmel’s name might appear on a list of contributors for Jeffrey Epstein, the millionaire who was accused of trafficking minor victims for sexual purposes and who committed suicide in prison.
“It’s ridiculous to mention any name, and I didn’t call him that (pedophile), nor should anyone,” Rodgers said Tuesday on the show.
The dispute between the star of an ABC late-night broadcast and Rodgers, who often appears on the ESPN show, has been embarrassing for The Walt Disney Co., the company that owns both television networks.
Rodgers criticized Mike Foss, an ESPN executive who oversees McAfee’s program, for saying the quarterback had made “a dumb, inaccurate joke” about Kimmel.
“Mike, you’re not helping,” Rodgers complained. “Because I just read exactly what I said. This is the media’s game plan and this is what they do: They try to cancel you. “They know it, and it’s not just me.”
Rodgers said last week that many people, “including Jimmy Kimmel,” are hoping that a list of Epstein’s associates does not emerge publicly. Kimmel, who has denied any relationship with Epstein, threatened to sue Rodgers over the comment, saying the NFL star was putting his family in danger.
The athlete suggested that people misinterpreted his comments. He stressed that he is not stupid enough to accuse Kimmel of being a pedophile.
Jimmy Kimmel
AP/Chris Pizzello/Invision
Source: AP
