Jimmy Kimmel suspension sparks outrage: Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep among 400 stars sign protest letter

Jimmy Kimmel

More than 400 actors, writers, and entertainers — from Tom Hanks to Jennifer Aniston — have lined up against Disney after the media giant abruptly suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show. The protest, coordinated by the American Civil Liberties Union, argues the move threatens free speech rights in the U.S.

Big Names, Big Statement

The list of signatories is long and star-studded. Meryl Streep, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Bateman, Martin Short, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Natalie Portman are just a handful of names on the letter. “Efforts to pressure artists, journalists, and others with retaliation for their speech strike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country,” the statement reads.

Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, didn’t mince words: “We now find ourselves in a modern McCarthy era,” he said. “The silencing of Jimmy Kimmel… evokes dark memories of the 1950s.”

Why Disney Pulled the Plug

Disney announced last week that Jimmy Kimmel’s program would be taken off the ABC schedule “indefinitely.” The decision came after Nexstar Media, one of the largest TV station owners in the country, vowed to block broadcasts over remarks Kimmel made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Sinclair Broadcasting also followed suit, saying it would keep the show off its airwaves.

The ripple effects are complicated. Several of the actors protesting the suspension currently star in Disney-owned productions. Martin Short and Meryl Streep appear in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. Florence Pugh and Julia Louis-Dreyfus just wrapped Marvel’s Thunderbolts. Jamie Lee Curtis, meanwhile, has a recurring role in FX’s hit The Bear.

A Growing Fight

The letter ends with a call to action, urging Americans to push back against what the ACLU calls “heavy-handed government censorship.” “We must remember that Senator McCarthy was ultimately disgraced,” Romero added. “We must do the same today.”

For now, Jimmy Kimmel remains off the air. But with half of Hollywood speaking up, Disney may have a bigger storm on its hands than it expected.

FAQs

Q1: Why was Jimmy Kimmel suspended by Disney?
Disney pulled Kimmel’s show after Nexstar and Sinclair objected to his remarks about activist Charlie Kirk.

Also read: Donald Trump says Jimmy Kimmel was fired for “Lack of Talent”, Elon Musk calls the host “Disgusting”

Q2: Who signed the ACLU letter?
Over 400 celebrities, including Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Bateman, and Martin Short.

Q3: What is the ACLU’s stance?
The ACLU says the suspension represents censorship and compares it to the McCarthy-era crackdown on free speech.