Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Dana Walden stated on Thursday that the White House did not reach out to Disney when it temporarily halted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” back in September. In an interview with Bloomberg’s “The Circuit,” she emphasized that no communication came from the administration during the suspension, despite President Trump’s remarks about Kimmel.
Walden remarked, “I haven’t heard anything from them,” referring to the lack of contact from the White House.
The suspension of Kimmel’s show came in response to pressures from local ABC affiliates following backlash from Trump and more conservative circles after his comments regarding a murder suspect related to Charlie Kirk. Interestingly, it was noted that Kimmel is generally considered politically left-leaning.
During this period, President Trump commented, “Jimmy Kimmel was fired… because of bad ratings and because he said horrible things about the great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk.”
Some liberals expressed frustration, alleging that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr might have influenced ABC’s decision, especially after he hinted at possible FCC actions against the network in a conservative radio interview.
Kimmel’s suspension led Walden to clarify the thinking behind the decision. She said, “When we decided to pause the show, our main goal was to lower the heated atmosphere, which we felt wasn’t feasible that evening. So, we discussed the situation with Jimmy.”
Walden also mentioned the intent to protect both employees and viewers, emphasizing a balance of considerations amid the controversy.
Amid these developments, it was noted that some customers were reportedly boycotting Disney and ABC due to Kimmel’s suspension, with a spike in cancellations of Hulu and Disney+ subscriptions. XM radio host Howard Stern stated he canceled his Disney+ subscription, expressing dissatisfaction with Disney’s handling of the situation.
Despite these claims, Walden described the reports of subscription cancellations as “highly exaggerated,” pointing to strong subscription numbers reported at the end of the year as evidence of resilience.
Disney and the White House have not provided any immediate comments regarding the matter.
