Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television on Tuesday, speaking out about his suspension and warning that efforts to silence comedians are “anti-American.” It was his first show back since ABC — owned by Disney — pulled him off the air last week after pressure from Trump administration officials. The controversy sparked a heated national debate over free speech and government influence on entertainment.
During his opening monologue, Kimmel told his audience, “This show is not important. What matters is that we live in a country where a show like this is allowed to exist.” His remarks directly addressed the uproar surrounding Disney’s decision to take him off the air after remarks about the shooting of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
The suspension quickly drew backlash from across the political and entertainment worlds. Hollywood stars, labor unions, media figures, and even Republicans such as Ted Cruz criticized the decision. By Monday, Disney reversed course, allowing Jimmy Kimmel Live! to resume production.
Kimmel had been suspended following his September 15 monologue, where he argued that the “MAGA gang” was scrambling to reframe the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of their own, while also seizing on the tragedy for political gain. That comment triggered a wave of outrage from conservative groups and Trump allies.
When he returned Tuesday night, Kimmel thanked his fellow late-night hosts for supporting him through the controversy. He also expressed gratitude to his audience and the wider public, framing his comeback as part of a larger fight for free expression without government intimidation Yahoo News.
Kimmel expressed his gratitude to everyone, especially those who don’t agree with his show or beliefs but still support his right to share them.
He wanted to clarify something important to him personally. He said it was never his intention to make light of the murder of a young man. To him, there is nothing funny about that tragedy.
Kimmel also explained that he never meant to blame any particular group for the actions of the shooter, who was clearly a deeply troubled individual. That was actually the opposite of what he was trying to say. However, he understands why some people might have found his comments poorly timed or confusing. For those who felt he pointed fingers, he can see why they’re upset and said he might have felt the same way if the roles were reversed.
Later in the monologue, Kimmel criticized President Trump. He said Trump tried to cancel him, but instead, millions of people ended up watching his show.
Kimmel accused the president of wanting to see him and his entire team lose their jobs. He added that Trump celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods just because he can’t handle a joke.
He shared a lesson he learned from famous comedians like Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, and Howard Stern. According to Kimmel, when the government tries to silence a comedian the president dislikes, it goes against American values.
To end his monologue, Kimmel spoke about Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, during her memorial service. He highlighted how she forgave the man who killed her husband.
Kimmel said her act of forgiveness is something everyone should try to follow. It deeply moved him. He hopes that if anything positive comes from this tragedy, it will be forgiveness, not hatred.
However, Kimmel’s remarks about the shooting upset Trump supporters and officials who vowed to seek justice for the conservative activist. The chair of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, appointed by Trump, threatened ABC’s licenses unless Disney acted against Kimmel.
Following that, two major broadcast groups, Nexstar and Sinclair, refused to air his show. Nexstar is currently seeking approval for a $6.2 billion merger from the FCC. In response, Disney CEO Bob Iger and Dana Walden, co-chair of Disney Entertainment, decided to suspend production of the program.
The decision to suspend Kimmel’s show sparked strong backlash from Hollywood and free speech advocates. It also led to boycotts and protests targeting both ABC and Disney.
About an hour before Kimmel returned to the air on Tuesday, Trump criticized him and ABC. He expressed disbelief that ABC had given Kimmel his job back.
Trump wrote on Tuesday night, “I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back. The White House was told by ABC that his show was canceled. Something must have changed because now his audience is gone, and his talent was never really there”.
He added, “I think we’re going to test ABC on this. Let’s see how it goes. Last time I went after them, they paid me $16 million. This time sounds even better.” This appeared to refer to the defamation lawsuit settlement Trump reached with ABC News last year.
On Monday, just hours before Disney announced Kimmel’s return, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released an open letter. More than 400 Hollywood stars signed it, condemning Disney’s initial decision as a serious setback for free speech in the United States. Among the signees were Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Ben Affleck, and Robert De Niro.
Disney issued a statement on Monday explaining why they had pre-empted Kimmel’s show. The company said the move was meant to avoid worsening tensions during a very emotional time for the country.
They said some of Kimmel’s comments felt ill-timed and insensitive. After several days of discussions with Kimmel, Disney decided to bring the show back on Tuesday.
Although the show returned to ABC on Tuesday, it did not air on ABC affiliate stations owned by Sinclair. Sinclair, known for promoting conservative views, said it would not broadcast Kimmel’s show until he apologized to Kirk’s family and donated to Turning Point USA, the conservative group Kirk supported.
Sinclair announced that starting Tuesday night, they would replace Jimmy Kimmel Live! with news programming across their ABC affiliates, which represent the largest group of ABC stations in the country.
The company added that talks with ABC were ongoing as they considered whether the show might return.
Nexstar, another major broadcaster, also confirmed it would continue to block Kimmel’s show on its stations in 22 states. Nexstar said they made the decision after ABC described Kimmel’s remarks as ill-timed and insensitive during a sensitive national moment.
They said they will keep the show off their air unless they receive guarantees that all parties will promote respectful and constructive dialogue in their markets.
Because of these decisions, Jimmy Kimmel Live! is not airing on nearly one-quarter of ABC’s affiliate stations. However, the show remains available online and on streaming platforms like Hulu and Disney+.
(This article is based on reporting by the Guardian.)
