Updated September 23, 2025 at 11:36 AM EDT
Less than a week after it was taken off the air under pressure from the Trump administration, Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to late night on Tuesday, ABC's parent company Disney confirmed.
Disney pulled the comedian's show last Wednesday after Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission, about Charlie Kirk's assassination. The comments in question from Kimmel: "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."
Carr threatened Disney and ABC affiliates that carry Kimmel's show, encouraging stations to preempt the late night program. Nexstar, and needs FCC approval for a multibillion dollar merger with media company TEGNA, quickly pulled the program. So did , which aired a remembrance of Charlie Kirk in Kimmel's Friday timeslot on ABC stations.
"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 explained in a statement provided to NPR. The company cited concerns that "some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive."
After engaging in "thoughtful conversations with Jimmy," Disney stated that they have decided to resume production of the show.
But Sinclair said that it would be preempting the program with news programming starting on Tuesday. "We are continuing discussions with ABC as we evaluate the show's potential return."
Nexstar , saying that the company would continue to preempt Kimmel's show. "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," they said. "In the meantime, we note that 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' will be available nationwide on multiple Disney-owned streaming products, while our stations will focus on continuing to produce local news and other programming relevant to their respective markets."
Kimmel's suspension sparked widespread outrage. On Monday, hundreds of entertainers, including Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and current Marvel and Star Wars star Pedro Pascal — both with long-standing professional ties to Disney — . The letter, issued in collaboration with the ACLU, also included signatures from Selena Gomez and Olivia Rodrigo, both of whom found early success as Disney actors.
The letter stated in part, "This runs counter to the values our nation was built upon, and our Constitution guarantees … Regardless of our political affiliation, or whether we engage in politics or not, we all love our country. We also share the belief that our voices should never be silenced by those in power – because if it happens to one of us, it happens to all of us."
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