Jimmy Kimmel Live Set to Return After Brief ABC Hiatus
ABC has announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live will return to screens on Tuesday, September 23, just five days after the network temporarily suspended the late-night show. The hiatus, which began on September 17, followed controversial comments made by host Jimmy Kimmel regarding the killing of Charlie Kirk, a Utah college student and close ally of former President Donald Trump.
In a statement on Monday, ABC explained the decision to pause the show. “Last Wednesday, we decided to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive,” the network said.
ABC also confirmed that detailed discussions with Kimmel over the past few days led to the decision to resume the program. “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 (September 23),” the statement added.
The controversy erupted after Kimmel’s September 15 monologue, in which he criticized the MAGA movement for allegedly trying to distance itself from the killer while politicizing the tragedy. He said, “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of somebody called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
Kimmel’s remarks drew sharp reactions, including a warning from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who threatened to revoke the licenses of ABC affiliates airing the program. Following the backlash, Disney-owned ABC had pulled the show nationwide.
The network’s decision to bring Kimmel back signals an effort to move past the controversy while maintaining dialogue around the sensitive events that sparked it.
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