Sean Penn has something to say to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC.)
In the wake of fallout from the controversial suspension ofJimmy Kimmel Live!, Penn shared his take on the situation with a very simple message for the FCC after the agency was suspected of putting pressure on ABC to pull Kimmel’s show.
Sean Penn Appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Amid Late-Night Drama
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday, Sept. 22, Penn, 65, reached into his jacket pocket to pull out a note he claimed to have found backstage.
“I found this in the dressing room and I just thought I’d get this out of the way,” he said, unfolding the crinkled envelope.
“It’s got brevity, I suppose,” the Oscar-winning actor added, before sharing that the envelope he “found” was addressed to the FCC, and inside, it contained a small card with a short but not-so-sweet message on it.
It read simply, “Suck less.”
Fallon, 51, quickly picked up on Penn’s bit, joking, “I left that in there—or a friend of mine did.”
Fallon already spoke out in solidarity with Kimmel, calling him a “decent” man, and expressing his hope that Kimmel would “come back” to the late-night scene soon.
Penn’s message for the FCC comes just hours after it was announced that Kimmel’s show will be back on the air starting Tuesday, Sept. 23 following last week’s “indefinite” suspension.
FCC Chair Insists Government Pressure Had Nothing to Do With Jimmy Kimmel Live! Suspension
While Penn and a slew of other celebrities have criticized the FCC regarding the recent late-night TV debacle, the agency’s chair Brendan Carr claimed on Monday that government pressure had nothing to do with Kimmel’s suspension.
“Jimmy Kimmel is in the situation that he is in because of his ratings, not because of anything that’s happened at the federal government level,” Carr said, according to Reuters.
However, Carr had previously condemned urged Disney and ABC affiliates to “take action” against Kimmel following comments he made about the death of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said last week during an appearance on the conservative podcast The Benny Show. “These companies can find ways to change conduct to take action on Kimmel or, you know, there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
Related: Jimmy Kimmel’s Cousin Sal Claims More ‘Bombshells’ to Come as ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Returns
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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