Jimmy Kimmel Live! employees are in the dark about the future of the talk show after receiving mixed messages, Us Weekly can exclusively report.
A source connected to the show tells Us that employees were “initially told that the suspension was just going to be for the rest of this week.”
News subsequently broke on Wednesday, September 17, that ABC had “indefinitely” pulled the show from the air. The source told Us that due to the conflicting messages, “no one knows what’s really going on.”
ABC’s move came after the Federal Communications Commission Chair, Brendan Carr, spoke publicly about the network’s broadcast license being in jeopardy due to comments Kimmel made about Charlie Kirk on his show on Monday, September 15.
On his Monday show, Jimmy Kimmel, 57, spoke about Tyler Robinson, the suspect accused of murdering Kirk at an event in Utah on September 10.
“The MAGA Gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said. “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”
Kimmel showed a clip of President Donald Trump being asked by a journalist how he was doing after Kirk’s death. “I think very good,” Trump, 79, said before moving the conversation to his new White House ballroom. Kimmel said, “He’s at the fourth stage of grief: construction.”
He added, “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish. Okay?”
On a podcast, the FCC head said Kimmel’s remarks were “truly sick.” He said: “They have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with an obligation to operate in the public interest.”
Kimmel was spotted leaving the studio where his show is shot on Wednesday as a crowd formed outside the building.
Trump, who has complained about Kimmel and other late-night show hosts that criticize him and his administration, praised the decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live.
“Great news for America: The rating challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED,” he claimed via Truth Social “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse rating than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy [Fallon] and Seth [Meyers], two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT.”
Kimmel received support from celebrities after ABC made the announcement. Actress Sophia Bush wrote, “The First Amendment doesn’t exist in America anymore. Fascism is here and it’s chilling.”
Ben Stiller commented, “This isn’t right.” Comedian Wanda Skyes wrote, “Hey, for those of you who pray, now’s the time to do it. Love you, Jimmy.”
NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, meanwhile, celebrated Kimmel’s show being taken off the air. “Human decency is coming back thank god,” she said.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy also spoke about ABC’s decision.” He said, “With Kimmel getting canned I’m seeing lots of people talking about the hypocrisy of cancel culture. To me Cancel culture is when people go out of their way to dig up old tweets, videos etc looking for dirt on somebody they don’t like in an effort to get them fired.”