LOS ANGELES — ABC announced Monday that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to air on Tuesday, nearly a week after the late-night host’s show was suspended following backlash to his comments on the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Disney’s reversal
Disney, which owns ABC, said it had suspended the show to avoid “further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.” After several days of discussions with Kimmel, executives decided the program could resume.
“We felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive,” Disney said. “We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show.”
Affiliate resistance
Not all viewers may see Kimmel’s return. Sinclair, which operates more than 35 ABC affiliates across the U.S., said it will continue preempting the show with news programming. “Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return,” the company said.
Free speech battle
The suspension sparked a firestorm over free speech and accusations of censorship. Brendan Carr, Trump’s FCC chairman, had blasted Kimmel’s remarks as “the sickest conduct possible,” while denying he directly threatened ABC affiliates with license action.
Kimmel had offered condolences to Kirk’s family but criticized Republicans for politicizing the killing. His comments drew swift outrage from conservatives and triggered Disney executives to halt production before his planned Wednesday monologue.
Civil liberties groups, celebrities, and even rival comedians condemned Disney’s decision. The ACLU released a letter signed by more than 400 public figures calling the suspension “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.” Former host David Letterman added: “You can’t fire somebody just because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian administration.”
What’s next
Kimmel has not publicly addressed the suspension. His Tuesday night return will be closely watched, but the standoff with Sinclair and Nexstar affiliates means his show may remain off the air in dozens of U.S. markets.
