Jimmy Kimmel Returns to Air After Suspension Over Comments About Death Of Charlie Kirk
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is set to start airing again this Tuesday, after ABC suspended the show last week following backlash over jokes Kimmel made about the murder of conservative figure Charlie Kirk. Kimmel’s comments, delivered during a September 15th monologue, accused Trump supporters of politicising Kirk’s death and "desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them", and mocked President Trump’s awkward response to the tragedy when he was asked about how he was mourning Kirk’s death and changed the subject to the construction of the new White House ballroom.
The fallout was immediate. FCC commissioner Brendan Carr, a Trump ally, suggested ABC should face consequences for airing Kimmel’s comments, prompting major broadcast groups like Sinclair and Nexstar to pull Kimmel’s show. ABC suspended production and reportedly demanded an apology and donation to Kirk’s nonprofit, Turning Point USA. The network, owned by Disney, said the decision to pull the show was made because Kimmel’s comments were “ill-timed and thus insensitive” during a tense national moment. But behind the scenes, the move came under intense fire from viewers, celebrities, and even lawmakers who saw it as a blow to free speech.
The suspension quickly triggered a wave of protests, subscription cancellations, and celebrity outrage. Figures like Barack Obama, Meryl Streep, and Jon Stewart slammed the move, while critics accused Disney of caving to political pressure. “This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent,” Obama wrote. Meanwhile, Disney’s stock dropped nearly $5 billion in value as hashtags like #CancelDisney trended online.
ABC says it had “thoughtful conversations” with Kimmel before deciding to bring him back. While he hasn’t made a public statement yet, sources say Kimmel plans to address the controversy in Tuesday’s show, which can be viewed on Hulu or online at abc.com. But not all stations are on board—Sinclair will continue to not air the show, instead replacing it with news broadcasts, and Nexstar hasn’t announced its plans for whether or not it will broadcast the show. Still, supporters view his return as a win. As California Governor Gavin Newsom put it, “This is a win for free speech everywhere.”
