ABC has suspended late-night host Jimmy Kimmel indefinitely following controversial comments he made about the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,” a spokesperson for the Disney-owned network announced. The decision came days after Kimmel, during his monologue, accused the “Maga gang” of exploiting Kirk’s death for political gain.
Kimmel said on Monday: “The Maga Gang [is] desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” He also criticised flags being flown at half-mast in Kirk’s honour and mocked President Donald Trump’s reaction: “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
The suspension drew praise from Trump, who celebrated on social media: “The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.” Earlier, the president called the move “great news for America.”
Kimmel, who has hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003 and fronted the Oscars four times, declined to comment as he left the show’s Los Angeles studio on Wednesday.
The decision comes amid wider industry pressure. Nexstar Media Group, one of the largest TV station owners in the US, said it would no longer broadcast Jimmy Kimmel Live! “for the foreseeable future,” calling the comedian’s remarks “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.” Sinclair Broadcast Group, ABC’s largest affiliate partner, followed suit, announcing it would air a special remembrance programme for Kirk instead.
Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and a Trump appointee, applauded Nexstar’s decision. He said Kimmel’s remarks represented “the sickest conduct possible” and urged Disney to act, adding that an apology would be a “very reasonable, minimal step.”
But Anna Gomez, the FCC’s lone Democratic commissioner, condemned Carr’s remarks, warning against censorship. “An inexcusable act of political violence by one disturbed individual must never be exploited as justification for broader censorship or control,” she wrote on X.
Kimmel’s removal sparked strong reactions in Hollywood and beyond. Actor Ben Stiller declared: “This isn’t right.” Emmy-winning actress Jean Smart said she was “horrified at the cancellation,” adding: “What Jimmy said was free speech, not hate speech.”
Jamie Lee Curtis reposted one of Kimmel’s earlier quotes: “I don’t believe anybody should be cancelled, I really don’t.” Singer John Legend, actors Josh Gad and Alison Brie, and others also voiced support, with Brie calling the move “unreal and very scary.”
Fans queued for the live taping in Hollywood expressed frustration. Janna Blackwell, visiting from Virginia, told the BBC: “You know, this is getting ridiculous and stupid. Freedom of speech. He shared his opinion and is being cancelled. To me that is bizarre.” A small protest also formed outside the studio with placards reading “Trump must go now.”
Unions weighed in, with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) calling the suspension a violation of free speech. “Shame on those in government who forget this founding truth,” the guild said. SAG-AFTRA described the move as “the type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone’s freedoms.”
A source told CNBC that Kimmel had not been fired and that network executives planned to meet with him before any possible return to air.
Kimmel’s suspension highlights ongoing turbulence in late-night television. In July, CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after 11 seasons, despite insisting the move was unrelated to performance. Colbert publicly criticised the decision and referenced CBS’s $16m settlement with Trump following a lawsuit.
The latest development follows a series of legal settlements involving major networks and Trump. Earlier this year, Disney-owned ABC agreed to pay $15m after anchor George Stephanopoulos was found to have mischaracterised the outcome of Trump’s civil trial involving former Vice-President Kamala Harris.
Meanwhile, the suspect accused of killing Kirk, aged 22, has been charged with aggravated murder and appeared in court this week.
