NEW YORK (BN24) — Disney announced Sunday that Jimmy Kimmel Live will return to ABC’s lineup on Tuesday, less than a week after the late-night host was pulled off the air following backlash over comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
In a statement, Disney said production was temporarily suspended “to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.” The company acknowledged that some of Kimmel’s remarks were “ill-timed and thus insensitive,” but said after further discussions with the comedian, “we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
The move came after Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr threatened investigations and regulatory action against broadcasters airing Kimmel’s program. In response to the warning, ABC affiliates across the country — including Nexstar, which is seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger with Tegna — announced they would stop carrying the show.
ABC initially suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday, marking an unusual intervention in the late-night lineup. The suspension followed Kimmel’s on-air commentary about the political fallout from Kirk’s killing, which drew criticism from Republican officials and conservative groups.
By Friday, political pressure around the controversy had intensified. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz, a Republican, publicly condemned Carr’s threats against broadcasters, calling them “dangerous” and warning that the government should not wield regulatory power to silence speech.
The swift reinstatement of Kimmel underscores the balancing act Disney and its ABC network face in navigating political sensitivities while defending creative expression. The company did not specify whether Kimmel will directly address the controversy when he returns on Tuesday night.
