At least he has a good choice in newspapers.
Jimmy Kimmel, who was taken off his late-night show in September due to controversial remarks about Charlie Kirk’s killer, is set to appear in next month’s issue of Vanity Fair. The New York Post is promoting his return to television.
In a recent photo, Kimmel looks cheerful while holding a September 23 newspaper featuring the headline: “What a joke!” He’s seen sitting atop the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles, where his show is filmed.
The newspaper reported that Kimmel would be coming back to ABC, even though the largest owner of local affiliates didn’t air his show after he declined to apologize for suggesting that Kirk’s assassin was a pro-Trump Republican.
Sources indicated that Kimmel had been in talks directly with Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment’s Dana Walden to make his return, and he apparently wants to address his comments in a monologue. Interestingly, neither Kimmel nor his superiors deemed his remarks inappropriate—they seem to feel he hasn’t done anything wrong.
Kimmel is prominently featured in Vanity Fair’s examination of Hollywood, dubbed “at a crossroads.” This issue hits newsstands on December 2.
This installment, already published online, includes a series of profiles of key players in Hollywood such as Paramount’s David Ellison and stylist Law Roach.
In that article, Kimmel reflects on what Vanity Fair calls the “good news day.” Disney-owned ABC has welcomed him back after a brief break.
Vanity Fair pointed out that in September, amidst censorship, Kimmel inadvertently became a symbol uniting a wide range of voices, from antifascists to Ted Cruz. There were even calls for boycotts against Disney and protests against an administration that seemed intent on suppressing the right to laugh and free speech. Perhaps this moment of collective action will spark memories as more rights face challenges.
Kimmel faced a six-day criticism period for his inappropriate comments regarding Kirk’s killer, leading to his suspension from “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Both Iger and Walden decided to bench the late-night host under pressure from various quarters, including Federal Communications Chairman Brendan Carr, President Trump, and major affiliates like Nexstar and Sinclair.
On the support front, Kimmel had backing from friends like Ben Stiller, Wanda Sykes, Marc Maron, as well as rivals Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, and even former President Obama.
Interestingly, over 1.7 million subscribers canceled their Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN accounts following the incident.
