Jimmy Kimmel’s Show to Return After Suspension
Disney announced on Monday that Jimmy Kimmel’s suspended late-night show will be back on air on Tuesday.
However, Disney executives revealed on Wednesday that the show would be cancelled “indefinitely” following comments Kimmel made about the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk during a monologue on September 15. They later confirmed that after a “thoughtful conversation” with Kimmel, the program would resume.
According to executives, production was paused last Wednesday to prevent further tension during sensitive times in the country. Some of Kimmel’s remarks were deemed poorly timed and insensitive.
Kimmel faced backlash for comments made in his September 15 monologue, during which he suggested that the “Magagang” was reluctant to acknowledge that Kirk’s suspected assassin, Tyler Robinson, was politically aligned with them. He also compared President Donald Trump’s reaction to Kirk’s death to that of a child mourning a pet goldfish.
“Over the weekend, we witnessed troubling moments. The Magagang was trying hard to distance themselves from this individual who was attempting to harm Charlie Kirk and score political points,” Kimmel stated during the monologue. He added that the White House had lowered flags to half-staff and likened Trump’s behavior to that of a grieving toddler.
Disney CEO Bob Iger and co-chair Dana Walden were reportedly concerned that Kimmel might provoke further backlash from his fan base after he planned to reinforce his earlier comments in a future monologue. It was said he aimed to portray conservatives as deliberately misinterpreting his words.
Kimmel allegedly had no intentions of apologizing and wanted to specifically address a warning made by Brendan Carr, the chairman, about inappropriate comments regarding Kirk’s assassination. Carr commented during an appearance on “The Benny Johnson Show,” suggesting he could revoke licenses for ABC-related networks due to Kimmel’s remarks.
The suspension, along with outrage from prominent liberals and Democrats, led to protests across the United States. During an appearance on “CNN News Central,” Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell expressed that Kimmel’s suspension should concern all Americans, while others viewed the cancellation as a blatant violation of free speech.
