‘Unreal. And very scary’: Celebrities react to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension at ABC

News that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” had been suspended indefinitely over a Charlie Kirk monologue sent shockwaves across social media Wednesday night.

ABC suspended Kimmel because of comments he made on the show in the wake of Kirk’s murder. The late-night host criticized Republican reactions to the political identity of Tyler Robinson, who is charged with killing him.

Various celebrities, many of whom are close to Kimmel, condemned the silencing of the host with some issuing calls to organize against the network’s actions.

“Night of the Museum” star Ben Stiller reshared an X post sharing the news with the caption, “This isn’t right,” while “Community” actress Alison Brie wrote, “This is unreal. And very scary,” on her Instagram story.

Actor-comedian Wanda Sykes, who was booked as a guest on Kimmel’s show before the ABC decision was announced, shared her thoughts on Instagram as well.

“So I’m in a full face of makeup because I was supposed to go over and have a chat with my friend Jimmy Kimmel on his show, but as you have heard by now, the Jimmy Kimmel show has been pulled indefinitely, abruptly, because of the complaints from the Trump administration,” Sykes said in a video. “So let’s see. (President Donald Trump) didn’t end the Ukraine War or solve Gaza within his first week. But he did end freedom of speech within his first year. Hey, for those of you who pray, now’s the time to do it. Love you, Jimmy.”

“Hacks” star Jean Smart posted a photo she took with Kimmel in sharing her response to his suspension on Instagram.

“I am horrified at the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Live,” she wrote in her post. “What Jimmy said was FREE speech, not hate speech. People seem to only want to protect free speech when it suits THEIR agenda. Though I didn’t agree at ALL with Charlie Kirk; his shooting death sickened me; and should have sickened any decent human being. What is happening to our country?”

Comedian Mike Birbiglia posted a handwritten note on Instagram about free speech.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in public and private defending comedians I don’t agree with,” he wrote. “If you’re a comedian and you don’t call out the insanity of pulling Kimmel off the air — don’t bother spouting off about free speech anymore.”

Actor-comedian Kathy Griffin also pointed to the power of people’s wallets to make them heard about the loss of free speech.

“Please, take it from me, it is very important to have Jimmy Kimmel’s back right now,” Griffin said on Threads. “Be vocal. Be an ideological consumer. Money is all their crowd cares about.”

Kimmel’s suspension was announced just two days after he made the comments about the response to Kirk’s death on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Monday.

In his opening monologue, Kimmel said that “we hit some new lows over the weekend with 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.”

He then cued up footage of a reporter asking Trump how he was holding up while mourning Kirk’s death.

“I think very good,” Trump said, quickly pivoting to talk about the construction of a ballroom at the White House.

“It’s gonna be a beauty,” the president said in the clip.

Trump later commented on Kimmel’s suspension on his social media platform Truth.

“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED,” Trump wrote. “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT”

Kimmel, like CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert, has consistently been critical of President Donald Trump and many of his policies on his ABC show. CBS said this past summer that it would be canceling Colbert’s show at the end of this season for financial reasons, although some critics have wondered if his stance on Trump played a role.

Kimmel’s suspension came hours after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr railed against ABC for Kimmel’s comments.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said on a podcast with Benny Johnson, per Variety. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

The Writers Guild of America also put out a statement in response to Kimmel’s suspension and the removal of his show from the ABC lineup.

“The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other — to disturb, even — is at the very heart of what it means to be a free people,” the union said. “It is not to be denied. Not by violence, not by the abuse of government power, not by acts of corporate cowardice.

“As a Guild, we stand united in opposition to anyone who uses their power and influence to silence the voices of writers, or anyone who speaks in dissent. If free speech applied only to ideas we like, we needn’t have bothered to write it into the Constitution. What we have signed on to — painful as it may be at times — is the freeing agreement to disagree.”

The Screen Actors Guild also condemned Kimmel’s suspension.

“Our society depends on freedom of expression,” the labor union said in a statement posted to Instagram. “Suppression of free speech and retaliation for speaking out on significant issues of public concern run counter to the fundamental rights we all rely on.”

SAG also called the suspension of Kimmel and the show “the type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone’s freedoms.”