Jimmy Kimmel’s Suspension: A Late-Night Lesson in Free Speech

By: Maryem Hamdouni

On Sept. 17, ABC’s parent company, Disney, announced the “indefinite” suspension of late night talk show host, Jimmy Kimmel, after his comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk sparked nationwide backlash and a heated debate about free speech.

According to Aljazeera’s Sept. 18 article with Elizabeth Melimopoulos titled “What did Jimmy Kimmel say about Charlie Kirk before ABC pulled his show?”, in a Sept. 11 monologue, Kimmel criticized how some political figures responded to the tragedy, saying certain Trump supporters were “doing everything they can to score political points from it.” 

The comments drew strong reactions online from conservative politicians. 

According to The Guardian’s Oct. 2025 article, “Trump FCC chair to reportedly testify to Senate panel after Kimmel suspension”, Federal Communications Chair Brendan Carr appeared on a podcast on Sept. 17 to “pressure network affiliates to stop airing the show” over Kimmel’s comments. According to The Guardian, Carr will be testifying at some point in the future before the Senate Commerce Committee following Disney’s decision to suspend Kimmel. 

As reported by the BBC’s Sept. 2025 article with Ali Abbas Ahmadi titled “TV stations refuse to air ‘insensitive’ Kimmel’s show after ABC lifts suspension”, viewers launched boycott campaigns and canceled subscriptions to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN. According to Ahmadi, several ABC affiliates also pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from their local schedules.

After six days of growing backlash, Reuters reported that Disney announced on Sept. 22 that Kimmel would return to the air. In his comeback episode, Kimmel addressed the controversy directly, saying he never meant to make light of Kirk’s death. 

The incident has sparked a larger discussion about how much freedom TV hosts have when tackling politically sensitive topics. Kimmel has hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” since 2003. Despite the controversy, ABC said it remains committed to the show and its partnership with Kimmel.