Jimmy Kimmel’s show returning on Tuesday, ABC announces
By Tim Stelloh and Daniel Arkin
Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show will return to ABC's airwaves on Tuesday, nearly a week after it was pre-empted amid criticism of the host's remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
"Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country," the Walt Disney Company said in a statement Monday. "It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive."
"We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday," Disney added.
The network pulled the show Wednesday after Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr threatened to revoke ABC affiliate licenses over Kimmel’s comments, which he described in a podcast interview as “the sickest conduct possible.”
In his monologue last Monday, Kimmel, who has frequently roasted the Trump administration, criticized what he called the “MAGA gang,” saying they’re “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Authorities in Utah said Tuesday that the man accused of shooting Kirk had “started to lean more left” in recent months and targeted Kirk for his “political expression.”
The move by ABC was condemned by some unions, liberal lawmakers and prominent Hollywood figures, including former late-night host David Letterman, who said: “You can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian, criminal administration in the Oval Office.”
