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Back in September 2025, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was at the center of a controversy due to a comment the titular host made in regard to the death of political activist Charlie Kirk. It was eventually decided that Kimmel’s show would be suspended indefinitely, and then-acting Disney CEO Bob Iger was involved with the decision-making. At that time, some speculated whether that move was politically motivated, as U.S. President Trump was among those unhappy with Kimmel. Now, Iger is providing clarity on the rationale behind the choice.
During a broadcast, Kimmel said the public had hit “new lows” over the past weekend due to “MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr subsequently seemed to suggest that ABC’s broadcast license could be revoked due to the comments. It was shortly after that Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group pulled Kimmel from its ABC affiliates.
Kimmel’s suspension came down on September 17, with Iger and then-Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Dana Walden (who’s since become the company’s president and CCO) making the call. Iger, who stepped down to make way for new CEO Josh D’Amaro earlier this year, spoke to The Financial Times and reflected on the Jimmy Kimmel situation. The businessman denied that politics played a role in the course of action he and Walden took and noted that it was spurred by something else:
That was not the case . . . We thought it was in bad taste. We just wanted him to acknowledge that it was an ill-timed and probably inappropriate comment.
It was alleged around that time that execs at Disney weren’t pleased with Iger’s decision to pull the talk show. Some higher-ups allegedly tried to advise Iger of other courses of action to take and, an insider claimed that after he opted for a suspension, some execs saw that as a “betrayal.” Nevertheless, internal conversations with Kimmel were simultaneously underway, and the goal was for all parties involved to find an ideal way to move forward. Eventually, the suspension was lifted on September 22, with the show resuming production the 23rd.
After returning to the air, Jimmy Kimmel said he was surprised his show was suspended at all. The veteran late-night host explained that he “saw it as distortion on the part of some of the right-wing media networks, and [he] aimed to correct it.” Kimmel has also since shed light on some of the discussions he had with network executives while he was off the air. While the Man Show alum admitted he could be “reactionary” at times, he said he also found it “helpful” to have discussions with Walden and others to hear their perspectives.
Mor Kimmel has been involved in another situation involving politics. In April, Kimmel made jokes ahead of the White House Correspondents' Dinner, including a barb about First Lady Melania Trump. Kimmel quipped that Trump had “a glow like an expectant widow.” Those jokes notably came ahead of the reported assassination attempt on POTUS’ life during the aforementioned dinner, and Kimmel received backlash after the fact. But he defended his joke, saying it was “not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is in the midst of its summer stretch of episodes, and guest hosts will take to the desk while Kimmel goes on vacation. As for the controversies that have surrounded the show as of late, it seems the dust has settled. However, it’ll admittedly be hard to forget that suspension saga.
