On a sunlit Monday morning in Hollywood, the sidewalk outside the El Capitan Entertainment Complex—home to ABC’s long-running late-night staple, Jimmy Kimmel Live!—buzzed with more than the usual tourist traffic. Instead, it became the stage for a dramatic press conference, as lawmakers, union leaders, and impassioned citizens gathered to protest what they saw as a threat to free speech in America. Their target: ABC’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s show following his controversial comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Within an hour, the network reversed course, announcing Kimmel’s imminent return to the airwaves. The saga, which unfolded over just a few days, has exposed deep rifts in American culture, media, and politics—leaving no side untouched.
The controversy began on September 15, 2025, when Kimmel addressed the shooting death of 31-year-old Kirk during his opening monologue. Referring to the aftermath, he remarked, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” That segment, which also included pointed comments about former President Donald Trump, quickly drew the ire of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr. By Wednesday, September 17, Carr had publicly condemned Kimmel’s remarks as “some of the sickest conduct possible” and suggested that the FCC might review broadcast licenses for ABC affiliates that continued to air the show, according to Business Insider.
Pressure mounted as Sinclair and Nexstar—two of the largest owners of ABC affiliate stations—announced they would not air Jimmy Kimmel Live! until ABC addressed their concerns. Sinclair demanded a direct apology from Kimmel to Kirk’s family and a donation to both the family and Turning Point USA, the conservative group Kirk founded. Nexstar echoed these sentiments, stating, “Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located,” as reported by Times of San Diego.
Amid this corporate and regulatory pressure, ABC announced last Wednesday it would suspend production of Kimmel’s show “to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.” The network, owned by The Walt Disney Company, explained, “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.”
The suspension ignited a firestorm of criticism from across the political and cultural spectrum. Hollywood stars like Ben Stiller and Mark Hamill took to social media to express support for Kimmel, while California Governor Gavin Newsom and late-night hosts Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers decried the move as an affront to free speech. Meyers, on air, declared, “This is a big moment in our democracy, and we must all stand up for the principles of free expression. There’s a reason free speech is in the very first amendment. It stands above all others.”
Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) published an open letter signed by over 400 artists—including Jamie Lee Curtis, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Jane Fonda—condemning what they called “a modern McCarthy era.” ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero stated, “The silencing of Jimmy Kimmel and jawboning of media outlets through lawsuits and threats to their licenses evoke dark memories of the 1950s.”
Politicians also weighed in forcefully. At Monday’s press conference, Representative Laura Friedman, standing alongside colleagues like Ted Lieu and Judy Chu, insisted, “This is not about celebrities. It’s not about television or comedy. It’s not about Hollywood. It’s about the U.S. Constitution and the rights that we all care about. Our First Amendment, our right to free speech is under attack, so let us call this what it is. It is an attempt at blatant government censorship.” Congressman Lieu urged ABC to “stand up for the First Amendment… invoke the First Amendment, reinstate Jimmy Kimmel Live, sue the FCC, and you will win.”
Congresswoman Judy Chu, who co-chairs the Congressional Creative Rights Caucus, pointed out the political backdrop, noting that former President Trump had called for Kimmel’s show to be canceled more than two months prior. “This is about a president using the power of the Federal Government to silence his critics that he’s been open about for months. Now he’s saying the FCC should go further and cancel the broadcasting licenses of networks that criticize him. Are we going to be falling for that? Are we going to be silenced? This is the framework of authoritarians, and every single one of us has a responsibility to stand up for our constitutional rights that are under attack.”
The controversy also had financial repercussions. Disney stock, which had been down roughly 2% after the suspension, pared its losses and closed 1% lower on the day of Kimmel’s reinstatement, reflecting Wall Street’s sensitivity to high-profile cultural battles and their potential impact on corporate reputation and advertiser confidence.
Yet, the path forward for Jimmy Kimmel Live! remains uncertain. Sinclair announced it would continue to preempt the show across its ABC affiliate stations, replacing it with news programming while discussions with ABC continue. Nexstar’s position was less clear, with no immediate comment on whether its affiliates would resume broadcasting the show. The demands for a public apology and charitable donations remain unresolved, at least in the public eye.
FCC Chairman Carr, for his part, maintained that his agency’s actions were not politically motivated, telling Business Insider that Democrats had misconstrued his comments and that the FCC was simply “trying to empower local TV stations to serve the needs of the local communities.” Yet, FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, a Biden appointee, countered, saying she was “glad to see Disney find its courage in the face of clear government intimidation.”
For viewers, the episode has become a flashpoint in a broader debate about the boundaries of free speech, the role of government in regulating media, and the responsibilities of broadcasters in a polarized era. As the dust settles, one thing is clear: the collision of entertainment, politics, and corporate interests is more combustible than ever—and the nation will be watching closely when Jimmy Kimmel returns to his desk.
