Disney has announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to broadcast on Tuesday, following a brief suspension that sparked a national debate on free speech. The late-night talk show was indefinitely suspended last Wednesday after comments Kimmel made about Maga and the killing of far-right activist Charlie Kirk drew criticism from the Trump administration.
Disney said in a statement on Monday that the decision to suspend production was made to avoid inflaming tensions, describing some of Kimmel's comments as “ill-timed and thus insensitive”. After discussions with Kimmel, the company decided to resume the show. However, Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest owner of ABC stations in the US, said it will pre-empt the show on its 38 ABC affiliate stations, including in Washington DC, until Kimmel apologises to Kirk's family, makes a donation, and meets with Sinclair representatives.
The controversy began when Kimmel said during his monologue that “the Maga gang [is] desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them”. The comments went viral, leading Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to threaten ABC's affiliate licenses unless Disney took action. Disney then suspended Kimmel indefinitely after broadcast groups Nexstar and Sinclair pre-empted the show.
The suspension drew praise from President Trump and Carr, but condemnation from Hollywood figures, unions, and even some Republicans. The Writers Guild of America called it an abuse of governmental power and corporate cowardice. The American Civil Liberties Union released an open letter signed by over 400 stars including Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, and Meryl Streep condemning the decision.
Sinclair stated that discussions with ABC are ongoing as it evaluates the show's potential return. Meanwhile, the show will be available online after broadcast as usual.
