What happened behind the scenes that led to Kimmel suspension

Source: CNN

The decision to yank Jimmy Kimmel’s show off the air wasn’t quite as rash as one might think. The issue had been brewing all week throughout the executive ranks at Disney and ABC — ever since Kimmel made comments during his Monday night monologue about Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer and, as he called Trump’s supporters, the “MAGA gang.”

Kimmel’s remarks Monday attracted ire from the critics on the right, which put it on Disney’s radar. On Tuesday’s show, Kimmel doubled down, saying, “Many in MAGA-land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.” But it wasn’t until Wednesday afternoon, after FCC chair Brendan Carr went onto a conservative podcast and threatened to pull ABC affiliate broadcast licenses, that the matter really escalated. Then Nexstar — the station group which airs “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in approximately two dozen markets — announced they would not air the show.

(snip) According to one of the individuals familiar with the situation, Kimmel was prepared to deliver his monologue on his show Wednesday night and planned to address the right-wing backlash to his remarks made earlier in the week regarding the politicalization of Kirk’s killing. This individual describes Kimmel’s planned monologue as “very hot,” taking aim at the MAGA base. It was then that Disney executives had conversations with Kimmel about “taking down the temperature” of his monologue, according to the individual. Nexstar announced its plan to pull Kimmel’s show at the same time.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/18/entertainment/abc-jimmy-kimmel-what-comes-next

---

A note to the hosts: While the headline seems to indicate this is analysis, this news story actually has new revelations that ABC's move was not a rush to judgment and that they consulted with Kimmel beforehand. The story also reveals that ABC has a genuine hope of bringing him back.