Damon Lindelof is putting his money where his mouth is to stick up for Jimmy Kimmel.
A day after Kimmel was taken off the air by ABC for comments he made about the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, Lindelof called for the late-night host’s swift reinstatement and threatened not to work with the Disney-owned network.
“I was shocked, saddened and infuriated by yesterday’s suspension and look forward to it being lifted soon,” wrote Lindelof, who co-created and served as showrunner of the hit ABC series Lost, in an Instagram post Thursday. “If it isn’t, I can’t in good conscience work for the company that imposed it.”
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to ABC for comment on Lindelof’s remarks.
A three-time Emmy winner whose credits include acclaimed series like The Leftovers and Watchmen, Lindelof is the first high-profile Hollywood figure to state outright that they won’t work with ABC or Disney if Kimmel isn’t allowed back on air.
The Kimmel drama began with Monday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, in which the host said of Kirk’s alleged killer, “We had 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 with everything they can to score political points from it.”
FCC chair Brendan Carr, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, condemned Kimmel’s comments, scolded Disney, and called for ABC affiliates to take action against the network.
Soon after, Nexstar Media Group, which owns many local TV stations in the U.S., announced that its ABC affiliates would be preempting Kimmel’s show over his remarks about Kirk’s slaying. (Nextstar recently made headlines by announcing a $6.2 billion deal to acquire another broadcast station owner, Tegna. The deal would require government approval.)
ABC subsequently announced that Kimmel was being taken off the air “indefinitely.”
In Lindelof’s Instagram post, he praised Kimmel as “caring and empathic and grateful.” He added, “You know he loves his country. You know he appreciates a good roast and he can take as good as he gives. You know he supported his crew through multiple strikes and you know he is generous and philanthropic and most of all, you know that he is kind.”
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Other media figures have criticized Kimmel’s benching as well. MSNBC host Chris Hayes called it “the most straightforward attack on free speech from state actors I’ve ever seen in my life and it’s not even close.”
Protestors also gathered outside Kimmel’s studio Wednesday to call out ABC.
“Jimmy Kimmel did nothing but point out some of the hypocrisies of these fascists, and for this, he is being canceled and he is being threatened,” one protester said, adding that the intent of Kimmel’s critics was “go after anybody that is opposing them.”
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