<\/p>\n
When news broke that Jimmy Kimmel Live! <\/a>was being pulled off the air “indefinitely,” it caught fans and critics alike by surprise. Celebrities across the entertainment world weighed in, from David Letterman<\/a><\/strong> to Jean Smart<\/a><\/strong>. But one of the most unexpected voices to share their opinions? Stelen Covel<\/a><\/strong>, the son of late country legend Toby Keith<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n In a series of candid posts, the 28-year-old offered his take on the controversy \u2014 and stood up for free speech, even if he\u2019s not exactly a Kimmel fan.<\/p>\n ABC\u2019s<\/a> decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! came shortly after the host made controversial remarks during his September 15 monologue \u2014 comments that referenced the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n According to Variety<\/a>, Kimmel took aim at conservative reactions to the tragedy, saying, \u201cWe hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n He also quipped about President Donald Trump<\/strong>\u2019s unrelated response to a reporter’s question about Kirk\u2019s death, saying, \u201cYes, he\u2019s at the fourth stage of grief: Construction.\u201d<\/p>\n While the internet lit up with debate, Covel shared his perspective on Instagram Stories<\/a> \u2014 and it wasn\u2019t what some might expect.<\/p>\n “For what it’s worth \u2014 Not a fan of Kimmel’s but I think what Kimmel said probably didn’t warrant a firing, He’s said much worse.”<\/p>\n He also suggested the move may have been less about public outrage and more about dollars and cents. “Companies like Disney make safe decisions like this all the time. Likely just a business decision to save money from Bob Igor. (Bob Iger<\/strong> is the CEO of Disney<\/a>, ABC’s parent company.)”<\/p>\n Not officially \u2014 at least not yet.<\/p>\n According to PBS<\/a>, ABC has suspended the show, but no one knows for how long. Neither Kimmel nor the network has made a formal statement about a return date or future plans for the program.<\/p>\n Some, including Covel, speculate that Kimmel could easily move to streaming or podcasting if ABC cuts ties for good. \u201cHe will do a show on Netflix or Hulu or a podcast or some other slop and make the same money,\u201d Covel added.<\/p>\n This story was originally reported by Parade<\/a> on Sep 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the News<\/a> section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\nWhat Happened with ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’?<\/h2>\n
Stelen Covel Defends Jimmy Kimmel<\/h2>\n
Was Jimmy Kimmel Fired?<\/h2>\n