Jimmy Kimmel, a top Disney star, was set to tape his Wednesday late-night show in Hollywood at 4:30 p.m., with a monologue tackling a raging political controversy head-on.
Conservatives accused Kimmel of misrepresenting the politics of the suspect in the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
The FCC chairman warned ABC of severe repercussions, stating, “We can do this the easy or hard way.” A Texas-based owner of multiple ABC affiliates threatened to pull Kimmel’s show indefinitely.
Disney CEO Bob Iger and television head Dana Walden faced pressure from nervous advertisers and employees receiving threatening messages. After reviewing Kimmel’s planned remarks, executives feared his monologue would escalate the situation.
They decided to pull “Jimmy Kimmel Live” off the air temporarily.
The move, driven by a complex mix of political and financial pressures on one of America’s largest corporations, sparked a fierce debate over free speech. Democrats, actors, and comedians decried the decision, while right-wing activists cheered.
During a diplomatic trip in Britain, President Trump mocked Kimmel’s “bad ratings” and said ABC “should have fired him long ago.”“He was fired for lack of talent,” Trump claimed, though Kimmel was not fired. ABC suspended the show “indefinitely,” but by Thursday, network executives were working to bring their late-night star back on air soon, according to The NYTimes.