Disney Caves, Will Let Jimmy Kimmel Return To Air On Tuesday
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” is set to return Tuesday night following a brief suspension that sparked fierce backlash from the entertainment world and political observers alike. The announcement came Monday as Disney admitted that the network had buckled under pressure last week in the wake of Kimmel’s controversial remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” a Disney spokesperson said. “It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
The decision to bring Kimmel back comes after intense public scrutiny and internal discontent. Hollywood figures—including Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, and Bill Maher—loudly condemned the suspension, calling it an attack on free speech. Even former Disney CEO Michael Eisner weighed in, expressing opposition to the move.
Kimmel had come under fire for falsely claiming that Charlie Kirk’s assassin was a supporter of President Trump and the MAGA movement. Authorities, however, identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as a left-wing radical who despised Kirk’s conservative views.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” Kimmel said in the episode that triggered the suspension. (RELATED: Shots Fired At ABC Affiliate By Suspected Leftist After Network Pulls Jimmy Kimmel)
That false accusation, combined with Kimmel’s combative tone, reportedly drew complaints from broadcast partners like Nexstar and Sinclair. Several ABC affiliates temporarily pulled the show from their lineups.
FCC chair Brendan Carr also criticized Kimmel’s comments, leading to speculation that Disney faced mounting political pressure. However, the FCC did not formally intervene.
Amid the uproar, Kimmel himself went silent, declining interviews but reportedly visiting legal counsel. Despite the lack of public comment, the show’s suspension led to protests, petitions, and widespread condemnation across social media.
The controversy also shined a light on Kimmel’s declining ratings, with some critics alleging the suspension may have served a dual purpose—giving Disney an excuse to reevaluate the show’s future under the guise of damage control.
For now, though, Kimmel is back. But with Disney under fire from all sides, the network’s decision may have only deepened the rift between the entertainment industry and conservative America.