It was quite the buzz in late-night television on Thursday, September 18th. Everyone was talking about Jimmy Kimmel, even though his own show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, wasn’t on ABC anymore. The network had pulled it off the air earlier that week.
ABC decided to remove the talk show from its schedule on Wednesday, September 17th. This came after many people criticized comments Kimmel made about the death of conservative political commentator Charlie Kirk. A spokesperson for ABC confirmed to Us Weekly on Wednesday that Jimmy Kimmel Live would be paused for an unknown time.
Kimmel, who is 57, received a strong public warning from Brendan Carr. Carr is the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and works for President Donald Trump’s administration. Two major companies that own ABC stations, Nexstar and Sinclair, then stopped showing Kimmel’s program in big American cities. This pressure led to ABC taking the show off the air across the country.
On Thursday, Kimmel’s friends and fellow late-night hosts shared their thoughts on the show’s indefinite break. They all showed their support for Kimmel during this time.
Here’s what Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, and others had to say:
Jimmy Fallon
The host of The Tonight Show talked about the situation on his Thursday episode. He said, "Okay, guys, big news: Jimmy Kimmel got suspended by ABC after pressure from the FCC. Now everyone’s wondering ‘what the heck?’"
Fallon went on to explain, "This morning, I woke up to 100 texts from my dad saying, ‘I’m sorry they canceled your show.’ I texted back, ‘That’s not me, that’s Jimmy Kimmel.’ But honestly, I don’t know what’s happening, and nobody really does. What I do know is Jimmy Kimmel. He’s a good person, he’s caring, and he’s funny. I really hope he comes back."
Fallon promised his show would keep covering the news, including the Trump administration, "just like we normally would." He said this even though some people worried his show might also face censorship.
Stephen Colbert
On The Late Show, Stephen Colbert, whose own program on CBS was canceled in July, opened his Thursday episode with a heartfelt statement. "I’m your host, Stephen Colbert," he said, "But tonight, we are all Jimmy Kimmel."
Colbert accused ABC of giving in to pressure from Carr, the FCC chairman. He declared, "If ABC truly thinks this will satisfy the regime, they’re incredibly naive. This is clear censorship. You cannot give even an inch to someone acting like a dictator. Jimmy, I stand by you and your entire team completely."
Seth Meyers
"It’s a gift and an honor to call Jimmy Kimmel my friend, just like it’s a gift and an honor to make this show every night," said Late Night host Seth Meyers during his "A Closer Look" segment on Thursday. "I wake up every day thankful to live in a country that, at least, claims to value free speech."
He added, "We all must defend the principles of free speech." Meyers described ABC’s decision as a "major turning point in our democracy."
He went on to say, "There’s a reason why freedom of speech is in the First Amendment. It’s more important than anything else."
As for Late Night, Meyers promised to "keep doing our show just like we always have, with excitement and honesty."
Jon Stewart
The Daily Show on Comedy Central kicked off its Thursday episode with an announcer’s voice. It declared Jon Stewart was now a "patriotically obedient" host on a "government-approved" program.
Stewart then jokingly followed the rules while covering Trump’s trip to the United Kingdom that week. He carefully avoided any criticism of the president.
The broadcast began with Stewart saying, "We’ve got another fun, hilarious, and administration-compliant program for you."