The Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, announced on Monday that ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ will return to the air after a week-long suspension. The network had previously halted production following Kimmel’s comments on the death of Charlie Kirk, which were deemed “insensitive and ill-timed.”
"Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country," the statement read. "It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive."
The company added, “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.”
Why is the show coming back?
Disney’s reversal on the suspension sparked speculation that the company may have faced financial backlash, with hashtags like #BoycottABC and #BoycottDisney trending and numerous social media users claiming to cancel subscriptions. Some even suggested that Disney lost nearly $4 billion due to the initial decision to pull the show.
However, these claims have no concrete basis, as, even though several people did cancel their Disney subscription after the Jimmy Kimmel row, no record of an exact figure on how much loss the company endured is in the public domain
ABC had initially announced the suspension on Wednesday evening after conservative complaints and scrutiny from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which accused Kimmel of making inaccurate remarks about the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
ABC and Disney’s abrupt move drew sharp political and celebrity reactions. George Stephanopoulos described the network’s decision as eliciting a “sharply polarized response” during Good Morning America. Kimmel’s hiatus followed a series of high-profile media disputes, including Donald Trump’s lawsuits against 60 Minutes and The New York Times, as well as CBS’s cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Why was the show off aired?
During a recent episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel criticized attempts to politicize the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk while offering condolences to Kirk’s family and other victims of gun violence. “Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?” Kimmel wrote on social media.
In his monologue, Kimmel specifically targeted Republicans he claimed were trying to exploit Kirk’s death for political gain. "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it," he said.
Referring to a video of former President Donald Trump mourning Kirk, Kimmel added, “This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish. He’s at the fourth state of grief: construction. This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.
Despite Kimmel’s intent, ABC and local station owner Nexstar Media preempted the show, calling his comments “offensive and insensitive” and stating they “do not reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities.” Nexstar subsequently halted broadcasts of the program across its 200+ stations.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
