What's Inside?
- Jimmy Kimmel addressed his suspension, clarifying his comments on Charlie Kirk’s killing while balancing humor with heartfelt accountability.
- Disney reinstated Kimmel’s show after backlash from celebrities, fans, and free speech advocates who condemned the suspension as censorship.
- Nexstar and Sinclair refused to air Kimmel’s return, keeping the show off screens in major markets, including Washington, D.C.
After a nearly week-long suspension, Jimmy Kimmel has officially returned to Jimmy Kimmel Live! The late-night host opened his Sept. 23 episode with a mix of humor and candor, addressing the backlash that temporarily pulled him off the air. His comeback followed a whirlwind of political pressure, network decisions, and public debate over free speech and media responsibility.
Jimmy Kimmel Returns After Suspension and Controversy
ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s show on Sept. 17 after his monologue comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk ignited fierce controversy. The host had remarked that the “MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize” Tyler Robinson, the suspect charged with killing Kirk, “as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
That remark prompted a wide reaction. Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr accused Kimmel of misleading viewers about Robinson’s political leanings and warned, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
By the same evening, Nexstar Media Group announced it would not air the show on its ABC affiliates. Disney followed by suspending production, citing “ill-timed and thus insensitive” remarks.
The decision sparked outrage across Hollywood and beyond. Over 400 celebrities, including Jennifer Aniston and Selena Gomez, signed an American Civil Liberties Union letter defending Kimmel. Fans threatened to cancel Disney+ subscriptions, framing the suspension as a dangerous precedent for censorship. The mounting backlash pushed Disney to announce Kimmel’s return on Sept. 22.
“We felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive,” Disney said in its statement (via USA Today). “After thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
Yet not all networks complied. Nexstar and Sinclair announced they would continue to preempt the show, with Sinclair opting to replace Kimmel’s timeslot with news programming. That left Kimmel’s return off the air in several markets — including Washington, D.C.
What Jimmy Kimmel Said in First Monologue Since Suspension?
The late-night host didn’t shy away from the controversy when he stepped back onto the El Capitan stage. Greeted with thunderous applause, Kimmel joked,
“As I was saying before I was interrupted … If you’re just joining us, we are preempting a regularly scheduled encore episode of Celebrity Family Feud to bring you this special report. I’m happy to be here tonight. I’m not sure who ran the weirder 48 hours, me or the CEO of Tylenol.”
But the tone quickly shifted as he addressed the backlash directly. “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” Kimmel said, pausing as his voice cracked.
“Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make.”
He continued, acknowledging how his words had been received:
“I understand that to some that felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both, and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset. If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I’d have felt the same way.”
Kimmel also reflected on the privilege of free speech, reminding his audience: “This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.”
Still, the fallout lingers. Local affiliates in several markets remain unwilling to air the program, and critics, including Donald Trump, continue to use Kimmel’s suspension as political fuel. On Truth Social, Trump declared, “He is yet another arm of the DNC … Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 million dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative.”
Kimmel, however, appeared determined to move forward — striking a balance between humor, accountability, and a defense of free expression. “It’s so important to have a free press,” he told viewers. “And it is nuts that we aren’t paying more attention to it.”
