Jimmy Kimmel delivers the opening monologue during the 95th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 12, 2023.
Syndication: USA TODAY
(Florham Park, NJ) – One of the buzziest news stories as we get started here in 2024 is the pending release of names associated with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Allegedly, Epstein killed himself while in custody in a New York City jail – while facing charges related to sex trafficking minors. Years earlier, Epstein had been convicted of unlawful sexual relations with minors in Florida. Some have speculated that Epstein was actually murdered in jail, or even perhaps that his death was fake somehow.
So per a judge’s decision, the names of Jane Does and John Does are set to be released this year. And the names are in connection to a lawsuit filed by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre brought against him and his alleged madam Ghislane Maxwell – who is herself now in prison.
Speculation has run rampant as to who will be on this list: former presidents rumored to be included. Other prominent politicians, actors, and celebrities could be included as well. For years, people have speculated about who may have taken flights to Epstein’s private island on his private plane – nicknamed the Lolita Express.
So what’s the connection to Rodgers, and comedian-turned-late night TV host Jimmy Kimmel? That’s where some new wrinkles and allegations have started to emerge.
On The Pat McAfee Show this week, Rodgers was chatting with McAfee and co-host A.J. Hawk about a conspiracy theory surrounding the Super Bowl logo’s colors – and what teams will supposedly play in the big game – when their chatter veered into the Epstein discussion. Hawk suddenly interjected “Does this have something to do with the Epstein list that came out?” Rodgers responded “It’s supposed to be coming out soon.” And the future Hall of Famer continued: “There’s a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, that are really hoping that doesn’t come out.”
Now, to be clear, we aren’t suggesting that Kimmel is anyway connected to Epstein. It would also seem Rodgers himself was merely insinuating it, rather than making a direct accusation.
But that doesn’t seem to be how Kimmel sees it. He posted a message to X, formerly known as Twitter, that read: “Dear (Asshole): 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.”
It’s worth pointing out that ESPN employs McAfee, while ABC employs Kimmel, and both are owned by the Walt Disney Corporation.
Also, McAfee’s show includes a disclaimer at the beginning that reads: “This show does not necessarily reflect the beliefs of their peers, their boss, or ESPN.” A cheeky postscript is included: “Don’t sue us.”
So where could Rodgers be drawing his reasoning from, in terms of suggesting a connection between Kimmel and Epstein? Well, it potentially has something to do with Adam Perry Lang – who served as Epstein’s private chef in the early 2000s. Perry Lang has never been charged with anything along the lines of aiding or abetting Epstein’s alleged crimes. In 2008, Epstein had pleaded guilty to and was convicted of procuring a child for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute.
In 2017, Kimmel partnered with Perry Lang as the two opened a restaurant together – “Jimmy Kimmel’s The Smokehouse”, located in California. Then, in January of 2019, Perry Lang was arrested for allegedly making violent threats – at Jimmy Kimmel’s rental home.
So, while we aren’t making any allegations, many are trying to better understand why Rodgers may have mentioned Kimmel when discussing Epstein.
And the common denominator may be a man who once served as Epstein’s private chef (and was named in Lolita Express flight logs) while later partnering with Kimmel to open their own eatery.
