The comedy world is in shock after ABC’s decision this week to indefinitely suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show in the wake of his comments around the murder of Charlie Kirk.
A number of big names have already weighed in on the suspension, as other late-night hosts used their shows on Thursday night to speak out about its impact and the growing concerns over attacks on the First Amendment.
New Hampshire native and NBC’s “Late Night” host Seth Meyers, who, along with “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon, was mocked by President Donald Trump in a recent social media post as being next in line for cancellation after Kimmel, called the move to suspend the late-night star a “big moment in our democracy,” urging people to “stand up for the principles of free expression.”
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“There’s a reason free speech is in the very first amendment. It stands above all others,” said Meyers on his show Thursday.
In addition to the former “Saturday Night Live” star, several other comedians with ties to Massachusetts and New England have also spoken up in support of Kimmel, with many taking to social media to voice their displeasure over the suspension.
Accompanied by the caption, “Calling all comedians,” an Instagram post addressing the situation by Shrewsbury native Mike Birbiglia has amassed over 100,000 likes so far. The post features a photo of a handwritten note, in which Birbiglia writes that comedians who “don’t call out the insanity” of suspending Kimmel shouldn’t “bother spouting off about free speech anymore.” Birbiglia’s post was shared by other comedians on their Instagram stories, including New Hampshire native (and Kimmel’s ex) Sarah Silverman and Brookline-born comic and “The Daily Show” alum John Hodgman.
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Hodgman also posted on his Instagram page, with the comedian and podcaster sharing a screenshot of his canceled Disney+ subscription, noting in the caption that he also unsubscribed to Paramount+ “for good measure,” a nod to CBS’s controversial decision to end “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” writing “what are we even doing if not this at least?”
Lexington native Pete Holmes took to his Instagram page on Thursday to share a clip of his past appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and writing in the caption, “Love Jimmy.”
Brookline native and “The Paper” star Alex Edelman took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a link to a story about the Kimmel news, accompanied with the caption, “This is the actual cancel culture everyone claims to hate so much.”
Meanwhile, Dorchester native Ayo Edebiri, the Emmy-winning star of “The Bear,” shared a post on to her Instagram story on Thursday featuring the Writers Guild of America’s statement condemning the Kimmel suspension. Emmy-nominated actress and Pittsfield native Elizabeth Banks shared a post on her Instagram story as well addressing the meaning of the First Amendment.
Matt Juul can be reached at matthew.juul@globe.com.