Late-night hosts rally behind Jimmy Kimmel after ABC suspension
Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers and Jon Stewart react to Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC suspension and threats from the FCC.
Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension is continuing to draw outrage throughout the entertainment industry, and some major Disney stars are standing up for the comedian.
Mark Ruffalo, who stars as the Hulk in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, said in a Sept. 20 post on Threads that the company’s stock will “go down a lot further if they cancel” Kimmel’s show permanently.
“Disney does not want to be the ones that broke America,” Ruffalo wrote.
ABC, which is owned by Disney, suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Sept. 17 after facing pressure from the Federal Communications Commission over the comedian’s comments that “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”
Kirk, cofounder of the conservative organization Turning Point USA, was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. A suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, has been charged with his murder.
According to court documents released after Kimmel’s monologue, Robinson’s mother told police that her son had “started to lean more to the left − becoming more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented,” over the past year or so. Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, argued that Kimmel misled viewers about Robinson’s politics.
“Fantastic Four: First Steps” lead Pedro Pascal, who will star in two major Disney films in 2026 (“The Mandalorian and Grogu” and Marvel’s “Avengers: Doomsday“), has also defended Kimmel. In a Sept. 18 Instagram post, Pascal said he is “standing with” the comedian and wrote, “Defend #FreeSpeech Defend #DEMOCRACY.”
In a since-expired Instagram story, Tatiana Maslany, who starred in the Disney+ Marvel series “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” encouraged followers to “cancel your” Disney+ subscriptions over the Kimmel suspension.
Damon Lindelof, one of the creators of the ABC series “Lost,” said on Instagram that he will not work with Disney again unless Kimmel’s suspension is lifted.
“I was shocked, saddened and infuriated by yesterday’s suspension and look forward to it being lifted soon,” he wrote on Sept. 18. “If it isn’t, I can’t in good conscience work for the company that imposed it.”
In a Sept. 20 Instagram story, Olivia Rodrigo, who rose to fame on the Disney shows “Bizaardvark” and “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” expressed support for Kimmel and said she was “so upset over this blatant censorship and abuse of power.”
The Grammy-winning singer, who released her 2022 documentary “Driving Home 2 U” through Disney+, added, “I stand with Jimmy Kimmel and I stand for freedom of speech.”
In a column for Deadline, Dan Gilroy, who recently won an Emmy for his writing on the Disney+ “Star Wars” series “Andor,” said he sees parallels between the show’s depiction of a “fascist takeover” and recent events.
“Donald Trump‘s tools of governance, coercion and intimidation, have found focus on Hollywood,” Gilroy wrote. “Faced with a social media firestorm, fear, and an FCC head threatening ‘they can do this the easy way or hard way,’ Disney suspended Jimmy Kimmel for speaking his mind.”
He added, “I deeply disagree but acknowledge it was a difficult decision. If you believe otherwise, wait until fate knocks on your door and demands you choose between conscience and hardship − because if you work in this industry that day is coming.”
Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien support Jimmy Kimmel amid suspension
Other stars who have weighed in on Kimmel’s suspension include former late-night hosts Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien.
While speaking to reporters at a Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony for Chris Wallace, Leno said he’s “on Jimmy Kimmel’s side,” adding, “Usually, it’s the truth that winds up getting canceled,” per CBS News.
O’Brien, meanwhile, said on X that the suspension of Kimmel and the “promise to silence other Late Night hosts for criticizing the administration should disturb everyone on the Right, Left, and Center. It’s wrong and anyone with a conscience knows it’s wrong.”
Former late-night host David Letterman previously slammed Kimmel’s suspension at The Atlantic Festival, lambasting ABC for the “ridiculous” decision.
“You can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian, criminal administration in the Oval Office,” he said. “That’s just not how this works.”
President Donald Trump hit back in a Truth Social post, calling Letterman “highly overrated” and a “LOSER.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.usatoday.com ’
