Jimmy Kimmel is clapping back at Aaron Rodgers after the NFL star made comments alleging the TV personality would appear in court documents associated with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to NBC News.

Last week, Rodgers appeared on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show, saying “There’s a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, who’s really hoping that doesn’t come out”– referring to the then-unreleased court documents related to Epstein.

Kimmel used his opening monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday to refute the claims: “And then it did come out, and, of course, my name isn’t on it. I don’t know Jeffrey Epstein, I’ve never met Jeffrey Epstein, I’m not on a list, I wasn’t on a plane or an island or anything ever,” he shared.

He later added, “When I do get something wrong, which happens on rare occasions. you know what I do? I apologise for it, which is what Aaron Rodgers should do, which is what a decent person would do, but I bet he won’t.”

Aaron Rodgers is widely considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Photo: Getty Images/AFP

The following day, the New York Jets’ quarterback went on The Pat McAfee Show again to clarify his side of the story. “I was referring to the fact that if there’s a list,” Rodgers said, “and there are names on it, that it’d be the second time a soft-brained, junior college wacko … whatever other things have been said by him and other people in the media [about me] – would be right twice.”

Rodgers then added, “I totally understand how serious an allegation of paedophilia would be … I’m not stupid enough to accuse you of that with zero evidence.”

Here are four more instances where Rodgers has found himself in hot water:

1. Covid-19 vaccination controversies

Aaron Rodgers was hit with a hefty fine for disobeying NFL Covid-19 rules. Photo: @aaronrodgers/InstagramBack in November 2021, Rodgers contracted Covid-19. Per Us Weekly, he had to pay nearly US$15,000 for disobeying the NFL’s safety protocols at the time as an unvaccinated player, with violations such as going to parties and not wearing a mask while speaking to journalists.Advertisement

While there has since been heated debate about the efficacy of mask wearing and the public shaming of those who chose not to, his team at the time, The Green Bay Packers, were nevertheless also fined US$300,000 for not disciplining him or reporting his violations.

2. Relationship headlines …

Aaron Rodgers has been linked to actresses Olivia Munn and Shailene Woodley in the past. Photo: Aaron Rodgers/Facebook

Rodgers’ highly publicised relationships have been scrutinised for years, and he’s reportedly dated everyone from racing driver Danica Patrick and actresses Olivia Munn and Shailene Woodley, to podcaster Blu, per US media.

It seems like a lot of his romances haven’t ended well, either. Woodley, who was engaged to Rodgers at one point, told Net-A-Porter her “personal life was sh**ty” after they split up and that she went through the “darkest, hardest time”.

3. The 9/11 speculation

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers reportedly told fellow NFL player DeShone Kizer he should “read up” on 9/11. Photo: Aaron Rodgers/Facebook

Per Sporting News, Rodgers has never publicly spoken about a September 11 conspiracy theory, but his former backup DeShone Kizer claims that they chatted about it once.

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In an interview on The Breneman Show podcast in 2022, Kizer said, “The first that comes out of Aaron Rodgers’ mouth was, ‘Do you believe in 9/11?’ ‘What? Do I believe in 9/11? Yeah, why wouldn’t I?’,” Kizer said. “He was like, ‘You should read up on that.’”

4. Family drama

Aaron Rodgers’ brothers accused him of not being there for their family during the California wildfires in 2018. Photo: Aaron Rodgers/Facebook

According to Us Weekly, Aaron’s brother told his future wife JoJo Fletcher on The Bachelorette in 2016 that he and Aaron “don’t really have that much of a relationship”. “It’s just kind of the way he’s chosen to do life and I’ve chosen to stay close with my family and my parents and my brother,” Jordan said.

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Jordan and his other brother Luke have also accused their NFL bro of allegedly not being there for the family amid 2018’s devastating California wildfires, per the source.