Jimmy Kimmel will return to hosting his late-night show on ABC this week after the broadcaster indefinitely suspended him over comments on Charlie Kirk’s murder.
Kimmel was pulled from the air last week after suggesting that the gunman who assassinated right-wing activist Kirk on September 10 was affiliated with MAGA.
The alleged gunman, Tyler Robinson, who has been charged with aggravated murder, reportedly had left-leaning beliefs, according to authorities.
Highlights
- Jimmy Kimmel returns to ABC’s late-night show after an indefinite suspension over comments about Charlie Kirk’s assassin.
- Kimmel suggested the shooter was MAGA-affiliated, but the accused gunman reportedly had left-leaning beliefs.
- Sinclair will not air 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' across its ABC affiliates, replacing it with news programming instead.
- Kimmel will address the controversy on air but won’t apologize, sources say, despite calls for accountability.
Jimmy Kimmel is returning to host his TV show after an indefinite suspension
Image credits: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Disney, which owns ABC, has now confirmed that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to screens on Tuesday.
“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,” Disney said in a statement.
“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.”
However, Sinclair, which operates ABC stations in 30 markets in the U.S., announced it would not air Kimmel’s show come Tuesday evening.
“Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return,” Sinclair said in a statement.
Nexstar, one of the biggest TV owners in the U.S., has not yet confirmed if it will air Kimmel or replace the show with alternative programming.
Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of The Charlie Kirk Show and a friend of Kirk’s, welcomed Sinclair’s decision to block Kimmel’s show.
“Good for @WeAreSinclair for blocking Kimmell [sic] from its 31 ABC affiliates. Reminder, Kimmell has yet to apologize for saying the assassin was MAGA, and he was reportedly going to double down,” Kolvet wrote on X.
Image credits: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
“He's an unrepentant liar, and affiliates have every right to demand accountability.”
Sources told the New York Post that Kimmel will address the recent controversy during his monologue, but he will stop short of apologizing.
Kimmel’s contract with ABC is not up until May 2026, and it remains unclear what, if anything, the talk show host agreed to in order to return to TV.
Kimmel’s return comes after Disney faced intense backlash for pulling him from the air.
Democrats and unions had accused the company of bowing to political pressure after Trump-appointed chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, suggested the FCC could take action.
Kimmel's fellow late-night show hosts welcomed his return
Image credits: Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images
Kimmel’s fellow late-night talk show hosts welcomed the news that he would be returning to the air.
Colbert, whose own show will be axed in May, said it was nice to start Monday’s episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert with some good news.
“Just a few hours before we tape this broadcast, we got word that our long national late nightmare is over, because Disney announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to air on ABC tomorrow, Tuesday night,” Colbert said.
“Wonderful news for my dear friend Jimmy and his amazing staff that he can continue his show,” Colbert added. “You know, I’m so happy for them.”
Seth Meyers also welcomed the news on his late-night show.
“There has been a massive national backlash to Trump’s crackdown on free speech, even among conservatives,” Meyers told his audience.
“I haven’t seen a poll yet, but I think if you asked Americans if the president should be dictating what TV hosts can and can’t say, you’d get about 3% positive and—” Meyers then cut to footage of Trump saying, “97% negative.”
Trump has asserted that he had nothing to do with Kimmel’s suspension but has previously said Kimmel would be next to go after Stephen Colbert’s show was not renewed.
Trump also suggested last week that broadcast companies that routinely criticize him should “maybe” have their TV licenses revoked.