Controversy Surrounds Jimmy Kimmel’s Comments on Melania Trump

Former ESPN host Sage Steele has raised the question of whether Disney will take any action against Jimmy Kimmel following his remarks about Melania Trump, expressing skepticism about the likelihood of that happening despite a mounting backlash.

During a segment on “Jesse Watters Prime Time,” Steele commented, “I would be shocked if they did that based on history… Will it be? Who knows? Should it be? Of course.” She reflected on her nearly two decades with ESPN, a part of the Disney empire, pointing to what she sees as inconsistencies in how the company responds to controversial statements.

Steele emphasized that Kimmel’s remarks went too far and urged the new management at Disney to take a different stance. “[CEO Josh D’Amaro] Now we have a chance to reset and say, ‘You know what? Enough is enough.’ As a network, we will not be complicit in this hateful rhetoric. He can put the hammer down now…” Steele noted.

“This is an opportunity to send a message to all talent and executives — and, importantly, to Americans: We are better than this. It wasn’t a joke. It was much worse than that,” she added, hoping the new CEO would correct this course of action.

Steele’s comments came after Kimmel poked fun at Melania Trump’s demeanor by likening her to a “pregnant widow” in a sketch, which drew sharp criticism.

In a related note, President Trump has referred to Kimmel as “mentally deranged,” and has called for his dismissal following the incident.

The controversy escalated recently after Kimmel’s joke circulated widely online, especially in light of an armed incident that occurred at the White House Correspondents Association dinner, where a man attempted to enter the venue, reportedly targeting Trump and his Cabinet.

Kimmel defended himself during a monologue, insisting that the joke about the age difference between Trump and Melania aimed to be light-hearted. He said, “It was clearly a joke about their age difference… It wasn’t a call to assassination by any stretch.”

He also acknowledged the stressful situation Melania might be facing, especially after the recent events at the dinner.

As of now, neither ABC nor Disney has responded to requests for comments regarding the issue.