Fact Check: Did Jimmy Kimmel pay $25M to Jelly Roll for jokes on Trump?

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Amid the controversy and debate over rapper Jelly Roll’s joke against President Donald Trump, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel paid him $25 million for the remarks about the president. The claim has triggered a row and speculation, requiring a fact-check.

Claim: Jimmy Kimmel paid Jelly Roll for the joke on Donald Trump

According to the viral claim, Jimmy Kimmel reportedly paid Jelly Roll $25 million for the Trump jokes, which the post describes as ‘cost him everything.’

“I feel really bad that his fans responded that way,” Kimmel allegedly told his audience on his first night back. “It wasn’t supposed to balloon like that. I wish I could take it back.” 

The claim has been amplified by several accounts on X, garnering tens of thousands of views as of this writing. Several online users seemed to believe the claim is authentic, while a few others dismissed it as fake, calling for a fact-check.

Fact Check: No credible evidence to support the claim

The claim, however, is false, as there are no reports of the late-night show host paying that amount to the rapper to make the controversial joke against Trump.

The above remark, where Kimmel hinted at giving the money to Jelly Roll and expressed regret over it, is fabricated, as none of his recent episodes included it.

A search on Google for the claim to check whether he had really said it, intending it as sarcasm, yielded no results. If the claim were true, prominent news and entertainment media outlets would have widely covered it, making headlines and triggering a controversy, but the Google search returned no such media reports.

Moreover, the account that posted the claim is not credible and has posted several such false and fabricated stories based on real events for the sake of engagement.

Jelly Roll faces backlash over Donald Trump joke

The claim surfaced as the Grammy Award-winning rapper is facing criticism from fans after joking about Trump while guest-hosting “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”  

Following the backlash, organizers of the ‘Big Blue Bash,’ a police fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, withdrew an invitation for him to perform at the event, after which the rapper is taking an extended break from touring for personal reasons. 

“Mr. President, from one fat pig to another, take it from me that physical fitness is very important,” he joked while describing his own 300-pound weight loss.

“We can debate whether this president is mentally fit, but I think we can all agree he is certainly not physically fit,” he added.