By Kashvi Raj Singh,News18,Sahas

Copyright news18

ABC, one of America’s biggest television networks owned by Disney, “indefinitely” suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live, hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel since 2003. The decision came after his controversial remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The 31-year-old, who is a close ally of US President Donald Trump and the founder of the right-wing youth group Turning Point USA, was shot dead last week while speaking at Utah Valley University.
Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks, which he shared on Monday, September 15, quickly sparked a social media storm. By Wednesday, September 17, the backlash had escalated to death threats against the comedian and his staff, according to a source quoted by Reuters. The late-night talk show host was even ready to make a statement, but neither he nor Disney’s representatives could come up with exact words that they felt would not worsen the situation.
Disney’s CEO Decided To Take The Show Off Air
As the taping time for Wednesday’s episode approached, Disney’s CEO Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment co-Chairman Dana Walden agreed that the best approach to this immense backlash would be to take the show off the air. According to an insider, they plan to revive the show hosted by Jimmy in the future. Dana had informed the comedian of their decision. Many in Hollywood criticised Disney’s move, calling it a blow to free speech and mentioning that the company was bowing to political pressure.
Following the controversy, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr appeared on a podcast and stated that Jimmy Kimmel misled his viewers about the alleged shooter’s ties to MAGA (Make America Great Again). He also suggested that the FCC could revoke broadcast licenses of stations that air such “garbage.” Meanwhile, Nexstar Media and Sinclair Broadcast Group, which air ABC shows across the US, announced that they would stop carrying Jimmy’s show unless he apologised to Charlie Kirk’s family. Both companies currently have merger deals under review by the FCC.
What Did Jimmy Kimmel Say About The Late Charlie Kirk?
The social media uproar against Jimmy Kimmel stemmed from two nights of monologues. On Monday, September 15, less than a week after Charlie Kirk’s killing, the comedian accused Donald Trump’s supporters in the MAGA movement of trying to disown the killer, Tyler Robinson. “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterise this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” he said.
The following night, he escalated his criticism: “Many in MAGA-land are working very hard to capitalise on the murder of Charlie Kirk.” Jimmy targeted Vice-President JD Vance, who had claimed that “most of the lunatics in American politics today are proud members of the far left.” He dismissed this as “complete bullshit,” citing research that far-right groups were responsible for most extremist violence in the US. The Department of Justice has since removed that study from its website.