Hooray for common sense. After Disney helped launch an unprecedented attack on free speech by pulling comedian Jimmy Kimmel and his late-night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the airwaves, the company is officially walking back their controversial decision only days later. The move prompted a fierce and relentless amount of backlash almost immediately, as industry figures in politics and entertainment alike united in disgust and outrage over what was widely described as state-sponsored censorship. Thankfully, the company appears to have read the room and decided to dial things back. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney (which owns the ABC network that Jimmy Kimmel previously called home) has announced the news that Kimmel will return to his show following “thoughtful conversations” with the host. As they explained in a statement:
“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. 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.”
More to come…