Jimmy Kimmel

Source: Courtesy of The Academy

Jimmy Kimmel

UPDATE: ABC owner Disney is bringing back Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday (September 24) after it suspended the late-night show following remarks by the host in the wake of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

A statement issued by The Walt Disney Company on Monday read: ”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. 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.”

The move ends a chaotic week. On Monday, hundreds of entertainment figures signed an open letter from American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)  decrying the suspension.

ORIGINAL REPORT: Tom Hanks and Jamie Lee Curtis are among a host of Hollywood stars to sign an open letter from American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) protesting Disney-owned ABC’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The late-night talk show was taken off the air “indefinitely” by ABC last week (September 17) after host Kimmel – who has emceed the Oscars telecast on ABC four times – commented on the fallout from the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk the week prior.

The letter has been signed by hundreds at time of writing, including Ben Stiller, Pedro Pascal, Annette Bening, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Bacon, and Regina King.

An excerpt reads: “Last week, Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air after the government threatened a private company with retaliation, marking a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation. In an attempt to silence its critics, our government has resorted to threatening the livelihoods of journalists, talk show hosts, artists, creatives, and entertainers across the board. This runs counter to the values our nation was built upon, and our Constitution guarantees.”

Scroll to bottom to read full letter

Kimmel told the audience on his September 16 show: “We hit some new lows over the weekend, with the MAGA [Make America Great Again] gang 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.”

The host and comedian was suspended by ABC after TV station groups Nexstar Media and Sinclair said they were removing the programme, following comments on a podcast by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr in which he criticised Kimmel and intimated that ABC would face consequences unless it took action. Nexstar is seeking to merge with Tegna and requires FCC approval for that transaction.

Disney CEO Bob Iger and co-chairman of Disney Entertainment and television head Dana Walden suspended the programme following what is understood to have been advertiser unrest and threats to employees. The move has led to calls to boycott Disney+ and incurred the wrath of figures from the Republican Party including Senator Ted Cruz.

In December 2024, ABC paid $15m towards Donald Trump’s presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit. Last week Trump filed a $15bn defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the outlet of being a Democratic Party mouthpiece. 

The ACLU’s letter appears below in full:

We the people must never accept government threats to our freedom of speech. Efforts by leaders to pressure artists, journalists, and companies with retaliation for their speech strike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country.

Last week, Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air after the government threatened a private company with retaliation, marking a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation. In an attempt to silence its critics, our government has resorted to threatening the livelihoods of journalists, talk show hosts, artists, creatives, and entertainers across the board. This runs counter to the values our nation was built upon, and our Constitution guarantees.

We know this moment is bigger than us and our industry. Teachers, government employees, law firms, researchers, universities, students and so many more are also facing direct attacks on their freedom of expression.

Regardless of our political affiliation, or whether we engage in politics or not, we all love our country. We also share the belief that our voices should never be silenced by those in power – because if it happens to one of us, it happens to all of us.

This is the moment to defend free speech across our nation. We encourage all Americans to join us, along with the ACLU, in the fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights.

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