Jimmy Kimmel’s long-running late-night program, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, has been removed from ABC’s lineup indefinitely, the network confirmed on Wednesday, September 17. The decision comes in the wake of comments Kimmel made referencing conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot on September 10.
Though ABC has not publicly detailed the reasoning, Variety reports that Kimmel’s remarks surrounding Kirk — a prominent right-wing activist and head of Turning Point USA — played a central role in the network’s choice to suspend the show.
Representatives for Kimmel have yet to release a statement.
This development lands amid a broader shift in the late-night television landscape, and ongoing tensions between Kimmel and former President Donald Trump. Trump, a frequent critic of Kimmel, had recently predicted the host’s departure following CBS’s abrupt cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in July. Trump posted to his Truth Social platform shortly after Colbert’s show ended, declaring Kimmel would be “next to go.”
Kimmel, who has helmed Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003, has openly acknowledged the possibility of stepping away. In a 2024 interview with the Los Angeles Times, he referred to his current three-year contract, signed in 2022, as likely being his last. “That seems like enough,” he said at the time, adding that he had more than two years remaining on his deal.
The show, which aired weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET, regularly featured high-profile guests from entertainment, science, music, and politics. Recent guests included The Bear star Ayo Edebiri and punk band The Offspring.
Kimmel has not shied away from political commentary, particularly when it comes to Donald Trump. During a family vacation in July, he shared a pointed photo on Instagram showing him and his family at an anti-Trump protest. The post, referencing a controversial letter Trump allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein, was seen as another example of Kimmel’s vocal stance against the former president.
Following Colbert’s ousting, Kimmel expressed support for his late-night colleague, sharing a clip of Colbert’s farewell with the caption: “Love you Stephen.” He also took a shot at CBS, writing, “F— you and all your Sheldons,” referencing the network’s flagship shows like The Big Bang Theory.
This is not the first time Kimmel has faced backlash over his on-air content. In past interviews, he’s stated he was prepared to leave the show if pressured to tone down criticism of Trump. “If you want someone else to host the show, that’s fine with me,” he said on the Naked Lunch podcast in 2022. “I’m just not going to do it like that.”
For now, there is no official word on when or if Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to air.
[…] Americans’ constitutional right to free speech and against the FCC’s threats and intimidation. ABC’s decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel under pressure from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has ignited a firestorm on both sides with even some […]
The left did this to Roseanne, Tucker, James Woods, Neil McDonough etc. for far less. You also did it to Sarah Silverman for the same thing Jimmy Kimmel did. You know. Blackface.
I warned of the implications of another Trump presidency, specifically the Project 2025 playbook the administration with its allies would use as their strategy to criminalize dissent should the opportunity arise. Project 2025 that Trump appointed head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Brendan Carr contributed significantly to, was published by 2 extreme right-wing think tanks, that included a wide variety of attacks, including labeling popular comedians like Jimmy Kimmel who were critical of their agenda, as a “national security threat.” Clearly in the documents, the Heritage Foundation & Capital Research Center identified an enormous verity of tools in their… Read more »
Jimmy Kimmel: “The MAGA gang is desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”
CNN anchor: “What he said did not appear to suggest the suspect was a MAGA shooter.”
The MAGA gang would be desperately trying to characterize me as anything other than one of them. That hardly suggests that I’m a MAGA.🤮
ABC pulled him. The president did not. Kimmel has the right to free speech….he doesn’t have the right to have his comments air on someone else’s network. He made a false claim, the owners of his show didn’t like it. They took action. That’s the way it goes.
Kimmel mocked Tucker Carlson when he was sacked by Fox, can’t say he hasn’t enjoyed sowing – he gets to reap that harvest too.
Maybe, I don’t know, the entertainment industry could learn a lesson in entertaining its audience instead of lecturing and mocking them. Maybe make Hollywood credible and profitable once more? Lord knows it would be good for the city/region – a lot of folks outside of Kimmel lost their jobs with his canceling
Do you hear that? It’s the sound of sanity making its way back to Hollywood. Now, maybe SoCal will start to look like its old fabulous self again soon. Fingers crossed.
Let’s hope…It’s been in need of a reality check for a long time.