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- “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof is supporting Jimmy Kimmel amid his Charlie Kirk controversy.
- Lindelof said he was “shocked, saddened and infuriated” to hear of ABC suspending Kimmel.
- He also said he wouldn’t work for the network, which is owned by Disney, if Kimmel is ousted.
Jimmy Kimmel’s list of Hollywood backers is growing following his shock suspension by ABC.
Damon Lindelof, the Emmy-winning showrunner best known for co-creating the hit TV series “Lost,” voiced his support for Kimmel in an Instagram post on Thursday.
Lindelof, who said he’s known Kimmel for over 20 years, described the comedian as “honest,” “generous,” and “kind.” He also said Kimmel is a patriot who “loves his country.”
“I was shocked, saddened and infuriated by yesterday’s suspension and look forward to it being lifted soon,” Lindelof wrote. “If it isn’t, I can’t in good conscience work for the company that imposed it. If you’re about to fire up in my comments, just ask yourself if you know the difference between hate speech and a joke. I think you still do.”
ABC, which is owned by Disney, has aired the talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” since 2003. The following year, Lindelof’s breakout arrived when the first season of “Lost” premiered on the same network.
“Lost” ran for six seasons on ABC, and Lindelof has gone on to helm critically acclaimed HBO shows like “The Leftovers” and “Watchmen.” More recently, he was tapped to co-write the pilot script for “Lanterns,” DC’s forthcoming Green Lantern series, which is scheduled to premiere on HBO in early 2026.
Lindelof is one of the biggest names so far to explicitly join a Disney boycott, though actors like Ben Stiller and Jean Smart, as well as politicians like former President Barack Obama, Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Sen. Chuck Schumer, have condemned the move as concerning and “corrupt.”
On the other side of the aisle, President Donald Trump has publicly celebrated Kimmel’s suspension.
“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,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
ABC confirmed to Business Insider on Wednesday that it was pulling Kimmel off the air indefinitely. The move came shortly after Kimmel made a joke about Charlie Kirk, the conservative podcaster and influencer who was shot and killed last week.
“We hit 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 doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said on Monday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Although Kimmel had previously sent condolences to Kirk’s family on social media, the comment seemingly struck a nerve with Brendan Carr, Donald Trump’s pick to head the Federal Communications Commission, who pressured ABC and Disney to “take action, frankly, on Kimmel.”
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