Disney said Jimmy Kimmel Live will return to its ABC network lineup on Tuesday (Sep 23), six days after it suspended the talk-show host following threats by the Federal Communications Commission chairman over comments the host had made about Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer.
This marked the highest-profile move from the private sector to challenge a string of efforts by US President Donald Trump to crack down on his perceived media critics through litigation and threats of regulatory action.
In announcing the decision, ABC’s parent company said it had suspended production of the late-night comedy show “to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country”. Disney said the company felt some of Kimmel’s comments in question “were ill-timed and thus insensitive”.
After further discussions with Kimmel, “we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday”, Disney said.
Disney CEO Bob Iger, Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Dana Walden and Kimmel were in talks over the weekend and reached a decision on Monday to return Kimmel to the air, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The decision was guided by what was in the entertainment company’s best interest, rather than external pressure from station owners or the FCC, the sources said.
Kimmel is expected to address the issue when his show returns on Tuesday, according to the sources.
A spokeswoman for Kimmel could not immediately be reached for comment.
