It looks like Jimmy Kimmel Live! has hit an unexpected snag. ABC has taken the popular late-night show off the air. This move comes after a wave of criticism aimed at host Jimmy Kimmel. The backlash centers on recent comments he made about the late Charlie Kirk.
A spokesperson for ABC confirmed the news to Us Weekly on Wednesday, September 17. The show will be "suspended indefinitely," they stated. This means viewers won’t see it on their screens for a while.
Things reportedly started brewing earlier that Wednesday. Variety had reported that Disney-owned ABC made the decision to pull the talk show. This came after Nexstar Media reportedly threatened to remove Jimmy Kimmel Live! from its own station lineup. Nexstar is a major player, owning and operating many TV stations.
Nexstar wasted no time in making its stance clear. The company told Variety that its affiliated stations would suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live!. This change was set to begin with that very night’s program. Nexstar strongly disagreed with Kimmel’s recent remarks. They specifically mentioned comments Mr. Kimmel made regarding the murder of Charlie Kirk. Because of this, Nexstar plans to air other shows in its ABC-affiliated markets.
Us Weekly reached out to both ABC and Kimmel’s representatives for their thoughts on the matter. No additional comments have been made public yet. This story is still developing as we learn more.