Jimmy Kimmel Live! Reinstated by Disney After Contentious Suspension Over Charlie Kirk Remarks
Jimmy Kimmel Live! Reinstated by Disney After Contentious Suspension Over Charlie Kirk Remarks
US comedian Jimmy Kimmel is set to return to his late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, following a controversial suspension by Disney. The decision comes after a week of nationwide debate over free speech, triggered by Kimmel’s monologue on September 15 concerning the death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.
Disney, parent company of ABC, announced on Monday that it had reached an agreement with Kimmel, stating, “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.” The network had initially suspended the show, citing that Kimmel’s comments were “ill-timed and thus insensitive.”
The abrupt suspension followed threats from Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to revoke ABC’s broadcast license. President Donald Trump had publicly welcomed Kimmel’s suspension, suggesting that some TV networks deserved to lose their licenses for negative coverage. However, Trump remained silent on Kimmel’s reinstatement when questioned by reporters on Monday.
The controversy began when Kimmel, in his September 15 monologue, joked about the “Maga gang” attempting to distance themselves from Kirk’s alleged murderer and mocked Trump’s reaction to Kirk’s death. This led to major ABC affiliates, including Sinclair and Nexstar Media, initially refusing to air the show, with Sinclair announcing plans to replace Jimmy Kimmel Live! with news programming. Sinclair and Nexstar have yet to comment on Kimmel’s reinstatement, with Sinclair previously stating discussions with ABC were ongoing.
The suspension drew widespread condemnation from critics, First Amendment advocates, and Hollywood figures, who decried it as censorship and a violation of free speech. Jon Stewart, John Oliver, Stephen Colbert, and hundreds of celebrities including Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep, and Robert DeNiro rallied in support of Kimmel, calling the suspension a “dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”
Anna Gomez, the sole Democrat on the FCC, praised Disney for “find[ing] its courage in the face of clear government intimidation,” and thanked Americans for protesting “this blatant attempt to silence free speech.”
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