After a week of being off the air, Jimmy Kimmel Live is set to return on Tuesday night, Disney has announced. The move comes after a firestorm of controversy surrounding the show’s abrupt suspension.
The late-night talk show was pulled last week following comments Kimmel made about the political reaction to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. In his monologue, Kimmel suggested that some of President Trump’s supporters were attempting to “capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk” for political gain. These remarks drew immediate and intense criticism from conservative media and politicians, including FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who warned that the comments could have regulatory consequences for ABC and its affiliates.
In the wake of the controversy, several major ABC affiliate owners, including Nexstar and Sinclair, announced they would stop airing the show. ABC then announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live was being “pre-empted indefinitely.” The decision sparked a massive backlash from Hollywood and free speech advocates, with over 400 entertainment industry figures signing an open letter condemning the suspension as an attack on free speech.
Now, it seems Disney has reversed course. In a statement, the company said it had “spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy” and decided to return the show to the air. The suspension, which lasted only a few days, has highlighted the fraught relationship between media, politics, and free speech in the current climate. It remains to be seen how Kimmel will address the controversy in his first show back.
