Jimmy Kimmel Live! set to return to air after suspension over Charlie Kirk, Trump comments, says Disney

Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be returning to television screens after a week-long hiatus that became a flashpoint in the debate over free speech and network responsibility.

“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,” a spokesperson for the Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, said in a statement to CNN.

“It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”

The late-night program was pulled suddenly last week after Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr and several ABC affiliates raised objections to comments Kimmel made in a monologue about the MAGA movement’s reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

The network’s move set off a national firestorm, fuelling debate over government pressure on media outlets and the boundaries of free expression. Kimmel and the Trump administration have long traded public barbs, making the suspension a rallying point for both sides.

Demonstrations cropped up over several days, with protesters gathering outside Disney offices in New York and Burbank, as well as outside the Hollywood theatre where the show is filmed.

On Monday, the ACLU released an open letter in support of Kimmel, signed by more than 400 artists, including Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep.

The controversy also placed Disney’s top brass — CEO Bob Iger and Entertainment co-chair Dana Walden — under intense scrutiny as they balanced corporate interests and political sensitivities.

The company has major deals in play, including ESPN’s pending pact with the NFL, which requires government approval, and many affiliates are facing similar regulatory challenges.

Kimmel’s own future is another consideration: his contract is up in May, and late-night ratings and ad revenue have been sliding across the board.

Still, the decision to pull the show shocked Hollywood.

Kimmel is a veteran host and a respected figure at ABC, known for his loyalty to his team.

His show supports 200–250 staffers, and during the 2023 WGA strike, Kimmel personally paid his crew while production was halted.

Earlier this year, when wildfires forced another shutdown, the show’s backlot doubled as a donation hub for relief efforts.

The show’s return on Tuesday is likely to draw a large audience as Kimmel addresses the controversy — and signals that the network is ready to move forward after one of its most politically charged weeks in recent memory.

More to come