Jimmy Kimmel reportedly made shocking allusions to disgraced Bachelorette star Taylor Frankie Paul at Disney's upfront presentation in New York City on Tuesday. The 58-year-old late-night host, who was suspended from his series Jimmy Kimmel Live in September following comments about conservatives' response to the murder of Charlie Kirk, tied Paul's downfall to his own tenuous presence on TV, according to The Wrap.
Kimmel's Jokes at Disney Upfront
Kimmel joked that the only way to get fired by ABC, which airs his talk show and The Bachelorette, would be to throw a chair at your Mormon boyfriend. This was a barely veiled allusion to Paul, whose season of The Bachelorette was shelved before it ever aired as she was engulfed in a domestic violence scandal. 'As for us at ABC, except for all the domestic violence, we're doing really great,' Kimmel quipped.
The reality star, who previously starred on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, had stirred controversy after her ex, Dakota Mortensen, accused her of a domestic violence incident in February 2023. After video leaked of an earlier 2023 incident where Paul could be seen throwing chairs at Mortensen, ABC decided to pull the plug on her stint. Paul scored a legal win in April when it was announced that she would not face domestic violence charges.
Legal Battles and Custody Hearing
Mortensen had accused Paul of choking him, hitting him, and shoving him into a window. Earlier this month, Paul and Mortensen faced off in court over custody of their two-year-old son Ever and dueling protective orders. After the judge determined both had been violent in the past, he granted both protective orders. During the hearing, Paul's attorney alleged she had suffered two miscarriages prior to her conflicts with Mortensen.
Kimmel's Self-Deprecating Humor
Kimmel also joked about his clashes with Donald Trump, saying, 'The president has tried to f*** me twice over the last six months – that's one way to look at it. Another way, you could also say, I've generated unparalleled engagement across a variety of platforms.' He added self-deprecating humor about the investment Disney had made in him, joking that he had cost the company 'a lot of money this year, billions.'
Kimmel doubled down by sending his parking lot attendant-turned-sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez, through the audience with a basket to jokingly collect donations from advertisers. 'It would help me a lot if you could kick in a little lecture this year,' Kimmel said.
Ribbing Competitors
The comedian saved some venom for ABC's competitor CBS, which he ribbed for canceling The Late Show. Like Kimmel, The Late Show's host Stephen Colbert has been a frequent target of Donald Trump. However, CBS denied that pressure from Trump and the FCC led to the cancellation, citing budgetary concerns. Kimmel called the replacement time slot 'the least likely to offend the president with a rerun of Comics Unleashed from 2007.'
Kimmel also turned his jokes toward NBC, joking that the variety of Chicago-set dramas suggested someone at the network is 'f***ing the mayor of Chicago.' He poked fun at Fox for its lagging ratings and decision to revive Baywatch, saying, 'Poor Fox was in last place again, and their big plan to turn that around is a revival of Baywatch.'
Reunion with Late-Night Hosts
Kimmel's appearance at ABC's upfronts came a day after he teamed up with fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver for a guest appearance on Colbert's show. The five talk show titans had previously teamed up in 2023 for the podcast Strike Force Five, which helped provide funds to their out-of-work staff amid the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes. They announced a new emergency episode of Strike Force Five, set to premiere on Colbert's 62nd birthday, with proceeds benefiting World Central Kitchen.
Colbert admitted 'tensions were rising' and they had 'run out of things to say to each other' by the end of the original podcast. He challenged Oliver to choose which one of them would 'win in a fight.' Kimmel chimed in, 'I think John wins... his wife was in the military.' Oliver is married to Kate Norley, a US Army medic and Iraq War veteran.
Colbert announced on July 17 that Paramount/CBS would not renew his contract after 11 years, ending the late-night program after 44 years. The network claimed it was 'purely a financial decision,' but the cancellation came days after Colbert called Paramount/CBS's $16 million lawsuit settlement with President Trump 'a big fat bribe.' Kimmel noted, 'When I got knocked off the air for a few days, people canceled Disney+. Why aren't you people canceling Paramount+? Because you didn't have it in the first place?'
Colbert secured a post-cancellation gig penning a new Lord of the Rings film for Warner Bros. with his son Peter McGee and Philippa Boyens.
