Par Erin Scott — P20220608ES-0526, Domaine public, Lien
Hollywood, USA – September 18, 2025 – Jimmy Kimmel fired by ABC. This breaking news marks an unprecedented shake-up, as his flagship program, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, now faces indefinite suspension. This abrupt decision sends shockwaves across the television landscape and follows a cascade of controversy stemming from remarks made by the veteran host during his September 15 monologue concerning the tragic assassination of prominent conservative figure Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel’s comments, which quickly went viral, reportedly suggested a connection between Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused in Kirk’s murder, and the “MAGA gang.” The host also appeared to imply that conservative circles were attempting to distance themselves from this characterization of the alleged assailant. However, official statements emerging from prosecutors and Robinson’s family have painted a different picture, indicating a recent shift in the accused’s political views towards left-leaning ideologies, particularly regarding LGBTQ+ issues. This discrepancy fueled immediate and intense public outcry.
The backlash escalated rapidly, drawing the attention of high-ranking regulatory officials. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr publicly condemned Kimmel’s monologue, labeling it “misleading” and “the sickest conduct possible” in a pointed interview. Carr went a step further, subtly but sternly implying potential regulatory action and license threats against ABC affiliate stations that continued to broadcast the show. His statements underscored broadcasters’ fundamental obligation to serve the public interest and critically questioned what he described as a growing trend of late-night hosts using their platforms to promote narrow, divisive political agendas.
The pressure proved immediate and immense. Nexstar Media Group, a significant operator of ABC affiliate stations across the United States, was among the first to react decisively. They promptly announced their decision to remove “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from their programming lineup, citing the host’s “offensive and insensitive” remarks as the primary reason. This move by a major affiliate group effectively signaled the beginning of the end for the show’s current run. Subsequently, Sinclair’s ABC affiliates announced that they would air a special program honoring the memory of Charlie Kirk during the time slot previously occupied by Kimmel. Shortly after these developments, ABC, which is owned by media giant Disney, officially confirmed its decision to cease airing “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” nationwide, marking the definitive end of Kimmel’s tenure. The unexpected news that Jimmy Kimmel was fired has undeniably reshaped the late-night television landscape.
The news of Kimmel’s dismissal was met with a celebratory response from former President Donald Trump, a frequent target of Kimmel’s political humor. Taking to Truth Social, Trump declared the news “Great News for America,” referring to Kimmel as a “ZERO talent” individual and further urging NBC to take similar action against its own late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.
This pivotal event has ignited a broader and more intense national conversation about the delicate balance between free speech, media responsibility, and the increasing influence of political and regulatory pressures on major broadcast networks. Critics and media analysts are now widely debating whether this constitutes another instance of a major network, including ABC, yielding to external pressures. This discussion often draws parallels to past legal settlements and programming shifts under similar circumstances. The sudden departure of Jimmy Kimmel also closely follows the reported cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on CBS just weeks prior. While Colbert’s cancellation was officially attributed to financial considerations, many media insiders found the timing noteworthy, highlighting potential underlying challenges facing the traditional late-night television format in an evolving digital landscape.
Jimmy Kimmel, an accomplished television personality with a reported net worth of $50 million as of 2025, has been a familiar face in late-night television since launching “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in 2003. Known for his distinctive comedic style and increasingly sharp political commentary, his program had recently been nominated for Outstanding Talk Series at the 2025 Emmy Awards. The unexpected news that Jimmy Kimmel was fired by ABC underscores the highly volatile and politically charged environment that public figures in media now navigate, illustrating the significant consequences that can arise from controversial statements in an era of heightened scrutiny. The future of the late-night slot on ABC, and indeed Kimmel’s own career path, remains a subject of intense speculation across Hollywood, particularly after the Jimmy Kimmel Live suspension.