Esther Imonmion
US comedian Jimmy Kimmel will return to his late-night talk show on Tuesday, following a suspension over remarks he made about the death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.
Disney, parent company of ABC which airs Jimmy Kimmel Live!, announced on Monday that the show would resume after “thoughtful conversations” with the host. The company earlier suspended the programme, saying Kimmel’s comments were “ill-timed and thus insensitive.”
The row erupted after Kimmel’s 15 September monologue in which he joked about attempts by Trump supporters to frame Kirk’s killing as politically motivated. He also mocked President Donald Trump’s reaction to Kirk’s death, likening it to “how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
The remarks drew sharp criticism from the Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, who threatened action against ABC and Disney. Within hours, major station groups Nexstar and Sinclair said they would not air Jimmy Kimmel Live! “for the foreseeable future.” ABC followed by suspending the programme indefinitely and demanding an apology and donation to Kirk’s Turning Point USA.
On Monday, Sinclair said it would continue to withhold the programme, replacing it with news coverage across its ABC affiliates. Nexstar has yet to comment on Kimmel’s reinstatement.
The suspension sparked a wave of criticism from free speech advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Hollywood creatives, and Kimmel’s fellow late-night hosts. More than a hundred celebrities, including Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro, signed a letter calling the suspension a “dark moment for freedom of speech.”
Anna Gomez, the sole Democrat on the FCC, praised Disney’s reversal on Monday, saying she was “glad to see Disney find its courage in the face of clear government intimidation.”
Meanwhile, protests erupted in California, and critics urged boycotts of Disney+, Hulu, and other Disney-owned platforms. President Trump, who last week welcomed Kimmel’s suspension and called for some networks to lose their licences, declined to comment on the reinstatement when asked on Monday.
Kimmel, who has hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003, has not publicly addressed the controversy.