For years, Jimmy Kimmel has been a staple in the world of late-night television, known for his witty monologues and sharp political humor. However, in September 2025, Kimmel found himself in the middle of an unexpected storm that nearly ended his career.
What was supposed to be a typical evening taping for Jimmy Kimmel Live! turned into a dramatic turn of events, with Kimmel’s show being pulled off the air indefinitely. But what led to this stunning decision, and how did Kimmel handle the fallout?
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It all began on the afternoon of September 17, when Kimmel was preparing for that night’s show. He was in his dressing room, as usual, getting ready for his routine performance. But instead of the typical pre-show nerves, Kimmel was hit with an unexpected phone call from ABC that would change the course of his evening, and his career.
Kimmel recalls the moment vividly during an interview with Stephen Colbert.
It was about 3:00. We tape our show at 4:30. I’m in my office, typing away as I usually do. I get a phone call, it’s ABC. They say they want to talk to me. This is unusual. As far as I knew, they didn’t even know I was doing a show previous to this, so I have like five people who work in my office with me, so the only private place to go is the bathroom.
So I go into the bathroom. And I’m on the phone with the ABC executives and they say, ‘Listen, we wanna take the temperature down. We’re concerned about what you’re gonna say tonight and we decided that the best route is to take the show off the air tonight.
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The reason behind the suspension was a series of comments Kimmel had made about former President Donald Trump and the controversial assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. These comments ignited a firestorm of conservative backlash.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), led by Chairman Brendan Carr, quickly got involved, issuing a veiled threat against Disney and ABC, warning that if Kimmel wasn’t pulled off the air, investigations could follow.
ABC’s decision to suspend Kimmel’s show came just hours before it was set to air, leaving both the host and the production team in a state of disbelief.
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Kimmel explained,
I said I don’t think that’s a good idea, and they said, ‘Well, we think it’s a good idea.’ And then there was a vote and I lost the vote. So I put my pants back on and I walked out to my office and I called in some of the executive producers, and there were about nine people in there, and I said, ‘They’re pulling the show off the air.’
In the wake of the suspension, the fallout was swift and intense. Fans took to social media to express their outrage, and protests broke out outside the Disney and Kimmel studios. Many fans even took to calling for a boycott of Disney+ and Disney theme parks.
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The backlash wasn’t just on the streets; it had significant financial consequences for the company. Disney’s stock prices took a nosedive, and nearly two million Disney+ subscriptions were canceled in protest, causing the company’s website to crash under the weight of the cancellations.
Despite the dramatic nature of the suspension, Kimmel remained uncertain about his future. He admitted that when he first heard the news, he was convinced that his show was over for good. “I was convinced we were never coming back,” he confessed, acknowledging the emotional toll the suspension took on him.
But after six days of uncertainty, Kimmel made his return to the airwaves on September 23. However, the show wasn’t immediately available to all viewers.
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It wasn’t until September 26 that Sinclair Broadcasting and NexStar, two of ABC’s largest affiliate stations, resumed airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! The tension surrounding his return was palpable, and Kimmel’s emotions were still raw. “It was a roller coaster of emotions,” he said, reflecting on the ordeal.
The aftermath of the suspension also revealed some of the demands placed on Kimmel by Sinclair Broadcasting in exchange for his return. These demands, however, were ultimately dismissed when Kimmel’s show came back to the air.
Kimmel’s suspension had a far-reaching impact beyond the late-night television world. Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner publicly criticized Bob Iger’s handling of the situation, writing on social media, “Where has all the leadership gone?” This public rebuke from Eisner is believed to have played a pivotal role in the eventual decision to reinstate Kimmel’s show.
What do you think? Should Kimmel have been suspended in the first place, or was his treatment a violation of his rights? Do you believe the political pressures on late-night television shows are becoming too much? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
