Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show has been suspended indefinitely following a wave of backlash over controversial comments he made regarding the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The move comes after Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest operator of ABC-affiliated stations in the US, announced it would no longer air Jimmy Kimmel Live! until its demands for an apology and accountability are met.
Sinclair issued a strongly worded press release on Wednesday, condemning Kimmel’s remarks and calling for both ABC and the comedian to address what it described as a lapse in “professionalism and accountability.” The group stated, “Sinclair will not lift the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on our stations until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.”
The media company also demanded a “direct apology” from Kimmel to Kirk’s family, adding that it expects the comedian to make a “meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA,” the conservative organization co-founded by Kirk. Kimmel’s original comments aired Monday night, when he said, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”
The fallout was swift. Sinclair preempted the show across its stations, and ABC subsequently halted production altogether. According to Deadline, Kimmel, 57, was informed of the suspension via a phone call on Wednesday afternoon and is reportedly “absolutely f–king livid.” Sources suggest he is considering legal options to exit his contract with ABC. Despite the mounting pressure, Deadline also reports that Kimmel is “unwilling to apologize for his remarks.”
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Brendan Carr also weighed in, calling Kimmel’s behavior “some of the sickest conduct possible” during an appearance on The Benny Show podcast. “There are avenues here for the FCC — so there are some ways in which I need to be a little bit careful because we could be called ultimately to be a judge on some of these claims that come up. But, I don’t think this is an isolated incident,” Carr added.
US President Donald Trump, never one to shy away from criticizing Kimmel, quickly celebrated the show’s suspension. Posting on Truth Social late Wednesday, September 18, Trump wrote:
“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. 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”
Trump’s post also took jabs at fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers, calling them “total losers” with “horrible” ratings.
Kimmel, who has hosted his show on ABC for over two decades, responded more subtly on Instagram, writing: “Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?”
As tensions rise between the network, its affiliates, and political commentators, it remains unclear whether Kimmel will comply with Sinclair’s demands or choose to part ways with the network altogether.
However, a source told CNN, Disney is “hopeful” about finding a way to bring Kimmel’s show back.
“Everyone deeply values him and wants him to come back,” one source said. “But he has to take down the temperature.”
The incident marks a major inflection point in late-night television, bringing together political outrage, corporate pressure, and media scrutiny in what could be a defining moment for both Kimmel’s career and ABC’s late-night programming.