Jimmy Kimmel Live Set to Return Following Suspension Over Controversial Remarks

Mon Sep 29 2025 01:37:59 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

After a brief suspension triggered by controversial comments about conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show will return to air on Tuesday. The decision follows discussions on the sensitivity of comedy amidst political tensions.

Jimmy Kimmel Live will resume airing after being suspended due to comments made by Kimmel about the death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. Disney, which oversees the show, deemed some remarks ill-timed. The suspension sparked widespread debates on free speech and censorship in the wake of pressure from political figures and broadcasting regulators. Kimmel has not publicly addressed the incident, while critics and supporters express concerns over potential censorship.

US comedian Jimmy Kimmel will return to his late-night talk show on Tuesday after he was suspended for making jokes relating to the death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.

Disney, which owns the US broadcast network that airs Jimmy Kimmel Live, said on Monday that it suspended the show because it '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,' Disney said.

The comic's abrupt suspension came after threats by the federal tv regulator to revoke ABC's broadcast licence, sparking nationwide debates over free speech.

US President Donald Trump had welcomed Kimmel's suspension and suggested that some TV networks should have their licences taken away for negative coverage of the president.

Trump did not address Kimmel's reinstatement when a reporter asked about it during a White House event on Monday.

Sinclair, the largest ABC affiliate group in the US, stated on Monday it will replace Jimmy Kimmel Live! with news programming across its ABC affiliate stations from Tuesday. 'Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show's potential return,' it added.

Sinclair had previously called Kimmel's remarks 'inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country' and stated it would not lift the suspension before having formal discussions with ABC.

Nexstar Media, one of the biggest owners of TV stations in the US, also stated last week it would not air Kimmel's show 'for the foreseeable future'. It has not yet commented on Kimmel's reinstatement.

Critics and First Amendment advocates condemned ABC's decision last week as censorship and a violation of free speech. Kimmel, who has hosted the late-night programme since 2003 and hosted four Oscars ceremonies, has not yet publicly addressed the suspension or the fallout.

The controversy began after Kimmel made remarks in his monologue on September 15 referencing the Maga gang and their political exploitation of Kirk's death. He also criticized Trump's response to the incident, illustrating it with a humorous comparison.

Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission, threatened action against ABC and Disney over Kimmel's comments. This followed a campaign by some political figures to punish media criticism of Kirk following his death.

In response to the situation, Kimmel's late-night peers and numerous celebrities signed a letter protesting the suspension, which they view as detrimental to free speech. Notable figures have referred to Kimmel's suspension as a 'dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation', urging actions against Disney's corporate interests linked to censorship.