Jimmy Kimmel has broken his silence ahead of his return to television, following last week’s suspension over controversial remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The late-night host posted a photo on Instagram on Tuesday featuring himself with legendary TV producer and First Amendment advocate Norman Lear, who passed away in December 2023.
“Missing this guy today,” Kimmel wrote in the caption.
Lear revolutionized primetime television with hits like “All in the Family,” “Good Times,” “Maude,” and “Sanford and Son.” His work tackled political and social topics that had long been avoided in the sitcom format.
A liberal activist with an eye for mainstream entertainment, Lear created bold and controversial comedies that resonated with TV audiences—viewers who previously had to rely on the evening news to understand what was happening in the world.
Last Wednesday, ABC suspended production of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following remarks Kimmel made during Monday night’s monologue about Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old arrested for assassinating Kirk during a public event at Utah Valley University.
“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 told his audience.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, called Kimmel’s comments “truly sick” and threatened regulatory action against broadcasters airing the comedian’s program.
Nexstar Media Group, which owns KTLA and network affiliates in dozens of U.S. markets, announced Wednesday that its ABC-affiliated stations would preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” due to the remarks. ABC followed with a suspension shortly thereafter.
Sinclair, another major broadcaster, also announced it would preempt Kimmel’s show.
On Monday, ABC’s parent company, Disney, ended the suspension and announced that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would resume taping on Tuesday.
“Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” Disney said in a statement to KTLA. “It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.”
“We have spent the last few days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,” the statement continued.
Both Nexstar and Sinclair have announced they will continue to preempt Kimmel’s program on their ABC affiliates.
“We stand by that decision pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve,” Nexstar said in a statement Tuesday morning.
Kimmel’s guests for Tuesday will be actor Glen Powell with Sarah McLachlan as the musical guest.
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