Jimmy Kimmel Live! is coming back to TV. On Monday, Sept. 22, Disney announced the show will air again on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
“Last Wednesday, we decided to pause production to avoid making a tense situation worse during an emotional time for the country,” the statement said, referring to Kimmel’s Sept. 15 comments about Charlie Kirk. “We felt some of the comments were poorly timed and insensitive. After thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, we decided to bring the show back on Tuesday.”
About the Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. ET and features celebrities, athletes, musicians, comedians, human-interest stories, comedy sketches, and a house band.
The Controversy
On Sept. 15, Kimmel talked about world events during his opening monologue before addressing Charlie Kirk’s death. Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University at the age of 31. Tyler Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder in connection to Kirk’s death.
Kimmel criticized some political groups for using the tragedy for political points, saying, “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.” He also commented on President Donald Trump’s response in a humorous way about construction at the White House.
Before the episode aired, Kimmel shared condolences on social media: “Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?” He added, “On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(975x574:977x576):format(webp)/Jimmy-Kimmel-Live-091725-1-f10153ab574c416e8cc69f6d6eb56c52.jpg)
ABC and Nexstar Actions
On Sept. 17, ABC confirmed it was pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely. The decision followed Nexstar Media preempting the show on its local stations, citing Kimmel’s comments as offensive and insensitive.
Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, explained, “Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/jimmy-kimmel-charlie-kirk-091725-27b5a1074d0c43c6b3271de1b1e120e5.jpg)
Support and Reactions
Before the announcement that Kimmel would return, over 400 celebrities signed a letter supporting free speech and defending Kimmel, including Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Tom Hanks, Selena Gomez, Pedro Pascal, Diego Luna, Martin Short, and Meryl Streep.
Hollywood hosts like Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, John Oliver, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, Howard Stern, and the ladies of The View spoke in Kimmel’s support.
Looking Ahead
Even though Kimmel can resume production, he had hinted in a February 2024 interview that his three-year contract, signed in 2022, might be his last. He joked, “I still have a little more than two years left on my contract, and that seems pretty good. That seems like enough.”
