Jimmy

Watch as James Anderson, England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker, receives a knighthood from the Princess Royal at Windsor Castle.

The 43-year-old pace bowler took 704 wickets in 188 Tests during an international career spanning 22 years.

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Donald Trump has departed for Malaysia, where he’s set to attend the ASEAN summit and hold trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Speaking before he left, the US President criticised Canada over its ‘crooked ad’ about tariffs, and said he’d be open to meeting North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

Jimmy Kimmel figured his ABC late-night show was toast during last month’s firestorm over his comments following conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s shooting.

“I said to my wife: ‘That’s it. It’s over,’” Kimmel recalled Wednesday night at the Bloomberg Screentime media conference in Hollywood in a lengthy sit-down interview three weeks after the controversy.

The 57-year-old comedian has all along felt his statements about the Kirk shooting were misconstrued. But he recognized his show was in deep trouble on Sept. 17 when his bosses benched him and two ABC affiliate station owners, Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group, initially refused to air the program.

Kimmel provided fresh details about his dealings with Walt Disney Co. brass, his emotional hiatus and the late night television business in the wake of rival CBS announcing it was canceling “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” next spring.

Kimmel declined to say whether he would extend his long ABC run when his contract is up in May, but he acknowledged an interest in producing other projects.

Kimmel’s future was in doubt last month after his comments and the political backlash spawned boisterous protests that shined a light on 1st Amendment freedoms, the role of the Federal Communications Commission and the challenges facing Disney as it looks for a new leader to replace Chief Executive Bob Iger next year.

The controversy began with his Sept. 15 monologue when Kimmel said Trump supporters “are 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.” Right-wing influencers howled; FCC Chairman Brendan Carr called Kimmel’s actions “the sickest conduct possible.”

The sentiment he was trying to convey “was intentionally, and I think maliciously, mischaracterized,” Kimmel said.

He didn’t sense the initial fallout was “a big problem,” but rather a “distortion on the part of some of the right-wing media networks,” he said.

Kimmel had planned to clarify his remarks Sept. 17, but Disney executives feared the comedian was dug in and would only inflame the tense situation. That night, about an hour before showtime, Disney hit pause and released a statement saying the show had been pre-empted “indefinitely.”

He was off the air for four days.

“I can sometimes be aggressive. I can sometimes be unpleasant,” he said.

A protester calls for the return of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after Walt Disney Co. yanked the ABC comedian in September over comments he made about the shooting of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

He recognized the show’s precarious position when Sinclair and Nexstar bailed. He recalled an episode from early in his career when he made a joke about boisterous Detroit basketball fans, saying “They’re gonna burn the city of Detroit down if the Pistons win,” so he hoped the Lakers would prevail.

The comment riled up the Motor City, prompting the local ABC affiliate to briefly shelve Kimmel’s show.

An ABC executive at the time told Kimmel the loss of the Detroit market could be catastrophic. That pales in comparison to the threatened loss of Nexstar and Sinclair, which own dozens of stations, including in such large markets as Seattle, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.

“The idea that I would not have …. 40 affiliates [stations] … I was like, ‘Well, that’s it,’” Kimmel said.

But he said he “was not going to go along” with demands made by station broadcasters.

Sinclair, a right-leaning broadcaster, said in a statement it would not air Kimmel until he issued “a direct apology to the Kirk family” and “make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA,” the right-wing group Kirk founded.

Both Sinclair and Nexstar resumed airing the show Sept. 26. ABC offered no concessions.

Kimmel complimented Disney’s co-chair of entertainment Dana Walden’s handling of the crisis, saying she was instrumental in helping him sort through his emotions.

“I ruined Dana’s weekend. It was just nonstop phone calls all weekend,” Kimmel said, saying he doubted the situation would have turned out so well “if I hadn’t talked to Dana as much as I did, because it helped me think everything through, and it helped me just kind of understand where everyone was coming from.”

When asked who might become the next CEO of Disney, Kimmel said it would be “foolish” to answer that question.

“But I happen to love Dana Walden very much, and I think she’s done a great job,” Kimmel said.

Throughout the controversy, Walden and Iger were skewered by critics who asserted the company was caving to President Trump, who has made it clear that he’s no Kimmel fan. The Disney leaders were accused of “corporate capitulation.”

“What has happened over the last three weeks … was very unfair to my bosses at Disney,” Kimmel said. “It [was] insane, and I hope that we drew a really bold red line as Americans about what we will and will not accept.”

Kimmel returned Sept. 23 with an emotional monologue that championed the 1st Amendment.

Ratings soared.

The controversy — and CBS’ upcoming cancellation of Colbert — has focused new attention on the cultural clout of late night hosts, despite the industry’s falling ratings.

Millions of viewers now watch monologues and other late night gags the following day on YouTube, which means networks that produce the shows have lost valuable revenue because Google controls much of that advertising.

Networks acknowledge the late night block is challenged, but Kimmel said such shows still matter.

He scoffed at reports that cite unnamed sources suggesting Colbert’s show was on track to lose $40 million this year.

“If [CBS] lost $40 million, they would have canceled it already,” Kimmel said. “I know what the budgets for these shows are,” alluding to the ABC, CBS and NBC shows.

“If we’re losing so much money, none of us would be on,” he said. “That’s kind of all you need to know.”

When Nicky Devlin pounced to nod in his side’s second with 20 minutes to go after Marko Lazetic’s spectacular effort was tipped onto the bar, the home fans matched their side’s energy levels on the park as they hoped for a grandstand finish.

“The positive thing was we were connecting with the fans, showing some desire, passion, and personality on the pitch and fighting for Aberdeen football club,” Thelin said.

“We have to build on this now and learn from this. We always have to go out on the pitch to show how hard we are fighting for them.

“We did that today, the fans pushed the players to the last minute. We have to have that mentality every game. Now we will see the strength of character we have as a team in another important game on Sunday.”

The swell of support inside Pittodrie as they watched their side drive forward in the final half hour will also serve as encouragement for the embattled Thelin, who can take solace from the support within the fan base.

Donetsk are a side that arrived with a reputation for dynamic attacking play, having scored 14 goals in seven domestic league appearances, but Aberdeen matched their drive and zeal when the game was at its most frenetic.

The late night circuit got its version of a unique crossover event Tuesday night as Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert appeared as guests on each other’s shows.

It was a fitting stunt considering both talk show hosts have been at the center of noteworthy professional situations shrouded in political and national significance, and both orbit in the same universe of President Trump’s contempt. The two hosts, who have vocally supported each other through the respective ordeals on their shows, were now able to continue the mutual backing in full force, face-to-face.

In the wake of the fallout of Kimmel’s suspension earlier this month over comments he made related to the death of conservative pundit Charlie Kirk, the recently reinstated host charged ahead with moving his L.A.-based show to Brooklyn for a week as planned, with Colbert among the star-studded list of guests. Colbert was effusive in his support of Kimmel after ABC pre-empted his talk show, criticizing the decision as “blatant censorship.”

Kimmel, meanwhile, appeared on “The Late Show,” alongside pop star Sam Smith. Earlier this year, CBS announced it was canceling “The Late Show” and would end after the season wraps in May 2026 — marking not only the end of Colbert’s run at the helm, but also bringing the late night institution to a close after a 30-year run. The decision, the company said, was due to financial reasons and not — as many have speculated — because of Colbert’s criticism of a deal between the Trump administration and Paramount, the parent company of CBS, the network that airs “The Late Show,” over.a 2024 “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Kimmel was one of the many who expressed disdain over the decision, even campaigning for Colbert to win an Emmy though Kimmel was on the same ballot. (Colbert ultimately won.)

Ahead of Kimmel’s appearance on “The Late Show,” Colbert hosted another late-night host, Conan O’Brien, who appeared as a guest Monday, opening the conversation with, “Stephen, how’s late night? What’s going on? I’ve been out of it for a little bit — catch me up on what’s happening.”

“I’ll send you the obituary,” Colbert replied.

Here are five standout moments from the night of shared grievances.

Stephen Colbert, left, and Jimmy Kimmel backstage at “The Late Show.”

(Scott Kowalchyk/CBS)

Colbert says he ‘sweat through his shirt’ the day he told his staff ’The Late Show’ was canceled

In his first sit-down interview since the “The Late Show” was canceled, Colbert walked Kimmel through the timeline of his show’s cancellation. He said he received the news from their mutual manager, James Dixon, after the taping of his show on July 16. He got home to his wife, Evie McGee-Colbert, two and a half hours later. As he walked into the apartment, according to Colbert, his wife said, “What happened? You get canceled?”

Dixon knew for a week but had been hesitant to relay the news to Colbert, who was on vacation. Once he learned the show’s fate, Colbert said he was unsure about when he should break the news to his staff, debating whether to wait until after the summer break or in September. His wife, though, said he would tell them the following day.

“We get into the building,” he said, “I go up the elevator, I walk through the offices. By time I get to my offices, I have sweat through my shirt because I didn’t want to know anything my staff didn’t know. And I said, ‘I’m going to tell my staff today,’ but then we couldn’t do a show if I told them because everybody would be bummed out and I would be bummed out.”

He only told executive producer Tom Purcell at first. He got through the whole show. And then he asked the audience and staff to stick around for one more act so he could record the announcement.

“My stage manager goes, ‘Oh no, we’re done, Steve, we’re done.’ And I said, ‘nope, there’s one more act of the show. Please don’t let the audience leave.’ And he goes, ‘No, boss, no. Boss. I got that. I got the thing here. We’ve done everything.’ And I said, ‘I’m aware of that. And I’m here to tell you there’s one more act of the show,’” he explained. “So I went backstage, I said, ‘Everybody, get on Zoom.’ I told everybody as briefly as I could so they wouldn’t find out about it on air. And then I went back out on stage to tell everybody. And I was so nervous about doing it right — because there was nothing in the prompter, I was just speaking off the cuff — that I f— up twice. And I had to restart and the audience thought it was a bit and they started going, ‘Steve, you can do it.’ Because I always messed up on the sentence that told them what was happening. And then I got to the sentence that actually told them was happening, and they didn’t laugh.”

Kimmel, in turn, shared that he found out about “The Late Show’s” cancellation while attending a No Kings protest march.

Kimmel says he took the call from ABC about his suspension from the bathroom

Jimmy Kimmel on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Tuesday.

(Scott Kowalchyk/CBS)

Like Colbert, Tuesday marked the first time Kimmel had been interviewed since his suspension earlier this month, and he detailed the day he got the news he was being pulled from the air.

Kimmel’s office is busy — there’s roughly five other people working in there with him at all times, he told Colbert. So when ABC executives wanted to speak with him less than two hours before he was set to tape that night’s episode, Kimmel resorted to the bathroom to take the call in private.

“I’m on the phone with the ABC executives, and they say, ‘Listen, we want to take the temperature down. We’re concerned about what you’re gonna say tonight, and we decided that the best route is to take the show off the air,’” Kimmel said before the audience interjected with boos.

“There was a vote, and I lost the vote, and so I put my pants back on and I walked out to my office,” before telling some of his producing team the news, he said. “My wife said I was whiter than Jim Gaffigan when I came out.”

The decision on Kimmel’s suspension came so late in the day that the audience was already in their seats and had to be sent home, Kimmel told Colbert.

A sign of the times?

While touting the crossover event in his monologue (“We thought it might be a fun way to drive the President nuts so…”), Kimmel took time to stress the groundswell of support Colbert has both in New York, where he does his show, and in Kimmel’s homebase of L.A. To prove it, the camera cut to a photo showing signs that were displayed over the 101 freeway in L.A. when Kimmel went back on the air following his suspension. They read: “Public pressure works — Kimmel is back!”

“And this is the sign that is up now,” Kimmel continued, cutting to video of more recent signage over the freeway. “It says, “Now do Colbert.”

Gavin Newsom traveled to Brooklyn. Or did he?

Seth Meyers, left, Josh Meyers as California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Jimmy Kimmel on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

(Randy Holmes/ABC)

The California governor — who also moonlights (by proxy of his social media team) as the unofficial No. 1 Trump troll — made the cross-country trip to Brooklyn to surprise Kimmel on stage. Or did he? As the host mentioned the politician’s latest jab at Trump during his monologue, Newsom barreled onto the stage on a bike before finding his place next to Kimmel for a roughly six-minute spiel, delivered in his best California bro speak, on his mission to bring people together.

“L.A and N.Y.C., we’re not so different,” Newsom said. “I mean, we both just want to be free to smoke weed while riding our electric scooters to a drag queen brunch.”

As Kimmel pressed how exactly they can succeed in coming together, a blustering Newsom responded: “We already started, dog. These people get it. They have their own great late night hosts here in NYC, but tonight they chose my homie from L.A. They could be partying with my dude, J-Fall and The Roots crew — they’re a rap band … because you did look confused. Anyway, these Brooklyn-istas came to see you instead of checking out the political commentary of John Oliver or J-Stew or pay their respects to Colbert before he shipped off to Guantanamo Gay, or they could have gone and watched whatever that little creep Seth Meyers is doing … dude dresses like a substitute Montessori teacher. I mean, do you know why he sits down for his jokes? Same reason yo’ mama sits down to pee.”

Cue a special appearance from Seth Meyers, Kimmel’s friend and fellow late night host to rein in … his brother? For the non-late night connoisseurs reading this: Meyers’ brother, Josh, played the “Covid bro” version of Newsom during the pandemic in sketches that aired on NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” Newsom took the gag further on Tuesday, impersonating Josh impersonating himself on Kimmel’s stage.

“We’re bros, but no, we’re not,” Newsom as Josh said. “Look, I get this all the time, probably because we’re both so hot.”

Meanwhile, keeping the planned awkwardness going, Kimmel took the opportunity to mention to Meyers that he was in town if he wanted to get dinner. Meyers responded: “What happened with your show? I thought this whole thing was, you know … “

“We’re back on the air,” Kimmel said. “We’re back on now.”

It should also be noted that Kimmel, Colbert and Meyers later posed for a photo onstage and uploaded it to their respective social media accounts with the caption, “Hi Donald!”

Guillermo brings the fun (and the tequila)

Guillermo Rodriguez, left, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert taking a round of shots on “The Late Show.”

(Scott Kowalchyk/CBS)

Looking ahead at the remaining months Colbert will be on the air, Kimmel asked the host when he was going to “go nuts,” and suggested he lose his glasses and “maybe do some ayahuasca on set.” Kimmel then gifted him a bong with a Statue of Liberty design, which he called a “chemistry set.”

Colbert started playing along by unbuttoning his blazer and saying “f— that” to a signal that he only had a minute left in the segment. (“What are they gonna do, cancel me?” Colbert asked). Then, as if right on cue, Guillermo Rodriguez, Kimmel’s friend and sidekick on his show, came onto the stage with tequila (and three shot glasses) in hand.

On the first round of Don Julio, Colbert made a toast: “To good friends, great jobs and late-night TV.”

Colbert then poured another round and Kimmel pulled out the bong he had gifted the host. The group then took one more shot together and Kimmel toasted to Colbert.

Guillermo, who got a round of hearty cheers from the crowd, is known for giving out shots and toasting with A-Listers at awards shows and other Hollywood events.

A 10-second bit by ABC comedian Jimmy Kimmel plunged Walt Disney Co. into a full-blown crisis that rippled across America.

President Trump, the Federal Communications Commission chief and others were angered this month over Kimmel’s remarks about the Charlie Kirk shooting, which they said had suggested the suspect was a “Make America Great Again” Republican. Kimmel asserted Trump supporters were “trying to score political points” from the tragedy.

TV station groups pulled the program and Disney benched the comedian, sparking a bigger backlash. Protesters lit into the Mouse House for seemingly kowtowing to the Trump administration, consumers canceled Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions and more than 400 celebrities, including Tom Hanks, Jamie Lee Curtis and Lin-Manuel Miranda, signed a letter calling for a defense of free speech. Some investors bailed, briefly erasing nearly $4 billion in corporate market value.

Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger and his team turned the tide last week when they returned Kimmel to his late-night perch.

But the pressure on Disney’s top brass remains. Trump was not happy over Kimmel’s comeback, grousing that he may lob another lawsuit at ABC. In December, Disney agreed to pay $15 million to end a defamation suit Trump brought against the network and anchor George Stephanopoulos over misstatements.

And FCC Chairman Brendan Carr — who threatened ABC over Kimmel’s comments — isn’t backing down; he’s already opened one investigation into Disney and ABC for their diversity embrace.

“This [situation] isn’t going away anytime soon,” Nien-hê Hsieh, a Harvard Business School professor, said in an interview. “How it is managed certainly matters a lot.”

The Kimmel controversy exposed cracks at the Burbank company that has long meticulously managed its image. It also highlighted the fraught environment facing Disney’s next leader during a period of significant challenges for the entertainment juggernaut.

“Succession is difficult for any company — the stakes are high,” Hsieh said. “But Disney also is kind of a lightning rod that attracts criticism because of its brand and its prevalence and prominence.”

Iger, 74, is retiring for a second time in late 2026, when his contract expires. Within a few months, Disney’s board is expected to name a replacement — a pivotal decision for a company that has long struggled with succession.

Aside from the Trump administration, Disney’s next boss must navigate the shift to streaming, competition from tech giants, the rise of artificial intelligence, a potential economic slowdown and fragile geopolitics with a theme park in China and one planned for the Middle East. The new CEO also must try to keep Disney from again being drawn into America’s culture wars.

Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger is expected to retire at the end of 2026 after nearly 20 years leading the Burbank entertainment giant.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Four internal candidates are vying for the job, including Dana Walden, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, who oversees television and streaming and managed the Kimmel crisis with Iger.

Josh D’Amaro, Disney’s theme parks and experiences chief, is viewed by many as the leading contender.

Also in the CEO mix are ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro; and Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman, who oversees movies, including the Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars franchises, and, in concert with Walden, entertainment streaming services.

“The next leader needs to be very attuned to how the company is perceived and valued by its customers and clients,” Hsieh said. “This is a moment for people to be very clear about their values.”

Disney’s values were questioned by many after the decision to yank Kimmel from the air.

As protesters buzzed around Disney’s Burbank headquarters and Kimmel’s darkened theater on Hollywood Boulevard, the voice of the company’s former chief rang out.

“Where has all the leadership gone?” Michael Eisner asked in a stinging Sept. 19 social media post. “If not for university presidents, law firm managing partners, and corporate chief executives standing up against bullies, who then will step up for the first amendment?”

Disney hadn’t formally addressed the situation. The only public message was a terse ABC statement on Sept. 17 — minutes after Iger and Walden moved to suspend the show: “ ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ will be pre-empted indefinitely.”

Kimmel was furious. It was about an hour to showtime and his studio audience was queued up outside the El Capitan Entertainment Centre. He had intended to clarify his words that night.

But Walden and Iger were worried the comedian was dug in, and his planned remarks would only inflame the situation.

Disney’s move to bench Jimmy Kimmel prompted protests, including days of demonstrations outside the El Capitan Entertainment Centre, where “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is taped.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

What was initially viewed by Disney executives as a social media storm — vitriol from Trump supporters — had morphed into an existential threat for ABC when Carr, the FCC chairman, threatened to go after station licenses.

Carr urged other broadcasters to take a stand — a call heeded by Nexstar Media Group, which needs FCC approval for its proposed $6.2-billion takeover of a rival TV station owner, Tegna.

Nexstar pulled Kimmel’s program, followed by the politically conservative Sinclair Broadcast Group. The two companies own stations that provide 22% of ABC’s coverage.

Protesters called for a Disney boycott this month outside the darkened stage of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ The comedian returned Sept. 23.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

ABC’s ambiguous seven-word statement suggested to many that Kimmel wasn’t returning.

“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that night. “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”

Disney executives privately said they were simply hitting pause. ABC executives and talent were getting death threats, according to one insider who was not authorized to discuss the situation. Later, in Sacramento, a gunman fired three shots into the lobby of an ABC-affiliated station. No one was injured.

But Disney’s initial response was roundly criticized for being weak, an abdication of the 1st Amendment. “To surrender our right to speak freely is to accept that those in power, not the people, will set the boundaries of debate that define a free society,” Anna M. Gomez, the sole Democrat FCC commissioner, said in a statement.

Executives defended the ABC statement, noting that anything Disney had said at that moment could have exacerbated its troubles with the FCC and station groups. One insider added that company also needed time to weigh whether it was worth bringing back the show.

Iger and Walden held a Sunday sit-down with Kimmel on Sept. 21 to clear the air. The following day, Disney announced his show would return.

“It wasn’t a reaction to any regulatory threats or political threats — it was an editorial decision because we felt the comments were ill-timed and, thus, insensitive given the topic,” Horacio Gutierrez, Disney’s chief legal and compliance officer, said in an interview Monday. “We felt our responsibility was to avoid further inflaming the situation during a very delicate and emotional time for the nation and that couldn’t be achieved in the heat of the moment.”

Gutierrez said narratives about Disney’s motives were inaccurate.

“The guidance we were given by Bob as we were thinking this through was to do the right thing, and that’s what we did in both preempting the show and in putting it back on the air,” he said. “Other people can comment about what they would have done or said … but the reality is the action of the company speaks louder than any words.”

Brian Frons, a former senior ABC executive and a UCLA Anderson School professor, said the way the crisis was handled reflected Iger’s measured leadership style.

“This situation could have turned into a firefight with the [Trump] administration — a direct confrontation,” Frons said. “It could have been Florida-Chapek all over again.”

Disney’s last major public relations debacle was in early 2022, when former Disney CEO Bob Chapek tumbled into a political quagmire with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Disney belatedly opposed a Florida law banning school conversations about sexual orientation, the so-called Don’t Say Gay bill, prompting DeSantis to retaliate with a takeover of a Central Florida land-use board overseeing development around Walt Disney World.

Chapek’s shaky handling of the Florida dispute, which led conservatives to declare the company had become “woke,” was among the reasons Disney board’s fired him in November 2022, returning Iger to the top job.

Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger (left) and Bob Chapek (right) who served 2 1/2 years as chief executive. Chapek was removed in November 2022 to make way for Iger’s return.

(Business Wire)

Chapek had been Iger’s hand-picked successor but lasted in the job just 2½ years as pandemic dealt a crushing blow to theme parks, movie theaters and sporting events.

“In our instant-response culture, we want managers to have an immediate response and confrontation,” Frons said. “Sometimes, the instant solution might not be the best one.”

The Kimmel crisis and Chapek’s stormy tenure hover over succession.

Disney’s Achilles’ heel has long been its leadership handoffs. Over the years, Iger postponed several planned retirements, prompting at least one prospective successor, Tom Staggs, to exit the company in frustration.

The switch to Iger from Eisner 20 years ago was even more tumultuous, a move made to tamp down a shareholder revolt.

Before Iger was in the wings, Eisner recruited Creative Arts Agency co-founder Michael Ovitz — a debacle that ended in a court battle and a $140-million Disney payout.

Walt Disney Co. Chairman James P. Gorman is the former chief executive of Morgan Stanley.

(China News Service / China News Service via Getty Images)

Last year, Disney turned to James P. Gorman, Morgan Stanley’s former executive chairman, to oversee the succession process amid past criticism that some board members were too deferential to Iger. (A source close to the company disputed that characterization.)

Gorman became chairman of Disney’s board in January. He’s credited with orchestrating a smooth transition at the bank where he served as CEO for 14 years.

Disney’s board has said it would consider internal and outside candidates when determining who’s best equipped to lead the $206-billion company.

Walden was viewed as the early favorite, but some believe that Trump’s election last November might have changed that. The 60-year-old television executive has long been supportive of Democrat causes and is a friend of former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Walden joined Disney in 2019 after Disney swallowed Rupert Murdoch’s Fox entertainment properties, including the Fox television and movie studios and a controlling stake in Hulu. She oversees ABC, ABC News, Disney Channel, National Geographic and, with Bergman, the streaming services.

It’s not clear whether the Kimmel controversy helped or hurt her chances. By the end of last week, both Nexstar and Sinclair had abandoned their boycotts, returning the show to their ABC-affiliated stations.

“If this situation holds, Dana may have proved herself as a very effective crisis manager,” Frons said.

Clockwise from top left: Alan Bergman, Josh D’Amaro, Dana Walden and Jimmy Pitaro.

(Evan Agostini, Chris Pizzello and Richard Shotwell / Invision via AP)

D’Amaro, the parks and experiences chief, is thought to have an edge. Neither Disney nor the board have signaled that there is a front-runner.

The 54-year-old executive runs Disney’s biggest and most prosperous unit — theme parks, resorts, cruise lines and experiences, including video games. D’Amaro is an architect of Disney’s $60-billion campaign to expand and revitalize its parks and resorts and double the number of cruise ships.

The charismatic D’Amaro brims with enthusiasm for Disney where he’s spent most of his adult life — more than 27 years.

Bergman, 59, is a savvy executive who runs Disney’s film studios, its major creative franchises, as well as theatrical and streaming releases and marketing. He oversees Disney Music Group and its Broadway show unit.

And Pitaro, the Connecticut-based ESPN chief, has helped lead Disney’s push to streaming as the once lucrative cable business has contracted. The 56-year-old executive, a former consumer products and Yahoo executive, has managed Disney’s dealings with the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball.

Some worry that none of the candidates will match Iger’s skills.

“This idea that you’re going to replace the CEO — a person who is at the height of their power — with somebody in a similar place is pretty hard,” Frons said. “Instead, you have to ask: Who is the person who can best position Disney for the future in all the businesses that are important today and might be important in the future?”

Sinclair Broadcast Group is ending its preemption of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

The Maryland-based owner of several major ABC network affiliates said Friday the late night program will return to its airwaves immediately. The station group pulled Kimmel off the air Sept. 17 following a backlash over the host’s comments related to the killing of right-wing activist Charile Kirk.

Sinclair’s ABC stations include WJLA in Washington, D.C., and KOMO in Seattle.

Kimmel was pulled off the air by Sinclair and another station group, Nexstar, the same day Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr took aim at the host’s Sept. 15 monologue, in which Kimmel said MAGA Republicans were using Kirk’s death to “score political points” and were trying to categorize shooting suspect Tyler Robinson as “anything other than one of them.”

In a statement, Sinclair did not cite a specific reason for returning the program, which has not aired on its stations since Sept. 17. The company had initially demanded that the host make a personal apology to the family of Kirk and a significant contribution to the his organization Turning Point USA.

A person briefed on the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly said no such concessions were made to get the program back on the air.

Carr, who oversees regulations for broadcast stations, called Kimmel’s remarks “the sickest conduct possible” and called for ABC to act. He threatened to go after TV stations’ licenses if it failed to do so.

ABC pulled the program from the network, but returned it to the air on Tuesday. Kimmel’s first episode back scored 6.26 million viewers — a record for its regular 11:35 p.m. time slot — while his opening monologue was watched by more than 26 million people on YouTube and social media.

This is a developing story.

A group of Walt Disney Co. shareholders is demanding the company release information related to the suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, according to a recent letter.

The letter, dated Wednesday and sent by the American Federation of Teachers union and press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, said the groups want transparency into Disney’s decision last week to indefinitely suspend the show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following comments he made in his monologue about the shooter who killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Disney reinstated Kimmel’s show Tuesday, saying in a statement that the initial decision was made to “avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country” and calling some of his comments “ill-timed and thus insensitive.”

The late-night host’s suspension set off a political firestorm and nationwide debate about free speech. Protesters demonstrated outside the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood as well as Disney’s Burbank headquarters. More than 400 celebrities signed an open letter decrying attempts at government censorship. Some called for consumers to cancel their Disney+ streaming subscriptions.

“Disney shareholders deserve the truth about exactly what went down inside the company after Brendan Carr’s threat to punish ABC unless action was taken against Jimmy Kimmel,” American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said in a statement. “The Disney board has a legal responsibility to act in the best interests of its shareholders — and we are seeking answers to discover if that bond was broken to kowtow to the Trump administration.”

Prior to the initial suspension decision, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr had called for Disney to take action against Kimmel during a podcast interview that aired last week. Carr said there could be consequences for the TV stations that carry his show. Shortly before Disney announced Kimmel’s initial suspension, TV station groups Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group each said they would preempt the show and have said they will not bring it back.

The letter calls for Disney to provide records, including any meeting minutes or written materials, related to the suspension or return of Kimmel’s show.

“There is a credible basis to suspect that the Board and executives may have breached their fiduciary duties of loyalty, care, and good faith by placing improper political or affiliate considerations above the best interests of the Company and its stockholders,” the letter said.

Disney did not respond to a request for comment.

Times staff writer Meg James contributed to this report.

Jimmy Kimmel’s emotional Tuesday return to his late-night hosting perch at ABC gave his program its largest audience ever in its regular 11:35 p.m. time period, despite not airing for nearly a quarter of U.S. households.

An average of 6.26 million viewers tuned in to watch “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” as the comedian addressed his suspension that became a free speech cause celebre, according to Nielsen. ABC had pulled the show “indefinitely” starting Sept. 17 following blowback over Kimmel’s remarks about the shooting death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.

The only times “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” has scored higher ratings were when it aired special episodes after the Oscars and the Super Bowl. Preliminary numbers for Tuesday’s show didn’t include streaming.

The program delivered strong numbers despite not airing on 60 network affiliates covering 23% of U.S. television households. Television station ownership groups Nexstar and Sinclair kept the program off their ABC-affiliated outlets even as Walt Disney Co.-owned ABC resumed production.

By late Wednesday, 15 million people had watched Kimmel’s monologue and a comedy bit with actor Robert De Niro on YouTube, where ABC made it available shortly after it aired on TV. ABC said a total of 26 million people watched the monologue across YouTube and social media platforms.

Kimmel clearly grasped that his return would be a historic moment in the annals of late-night TV, as his network-imposed hiatus became a global news story and sparked a widespread debate about free speech and the role of government regulators.

He opened with the line, “Before I was interrupted” — the same words “Tonight” show host Jack Paar used in 1960 when he returned from a monthlong walkout. Paar left his program after NBC censors cut a water closet joke from his monologue, which became one of the biggest TV industry controversies of that era.

Kimmel was pulled off the air the same day Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr took aim at the host’s Sept. 15 monologue, in which Kimmel said MAGA Republicans were using Kirk’s death to “score political points” and were trying to categorize suspected shooter Tyler Robinson as “anything other than one of them.”

Carr, who oversees regulations for broadcast stations, called Kimmel’s remarks “the sickest conduct possible” and called for ABC to act. He threatened to go after TV stations’ licenses if it failed to do so.

During his opening monologue, Kimmel got choked up when he told viewers it was “never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man” when he discussed the right wing’s response to the shooting.

But Kimmel went on to chastise Carr, showing his social media postings in recent years that gave unequivocal support to the 1st Amendment and condemning the censorship of TV hosts and commentators.

Since becoming FCC chair under the Trump administration, Carr has joined the president in denouncing his late-night critics.

While Kimmel was contrite regarding Kirk, he showed no mercy for Trump in the monologue addressing the matter that took much of the show, a clear indication that he won’t be changing his tone. He also continued to promote free speech, saying the government attempts to stifle voices such as his are “un-American” and “so dangerous.”

Kimmel also expressed gratitude to politically-right-leaning politicians and commentators who expressed dismay over his removal from the air, including Ted Cruz and Joe Rogan.

Trump reacted harshly to Kimmel’s return. In a Truth Social post, he said he may file another lawsuit against ABC. The network paid a $16-million settlement last year after “Good Morning America” co-host George Stephanopoulos mistakenly said Trump was found liable of of sexual assault instead of sexual abuse.

A letter signed by several dozen former employees of ABC, which was obtained by The Times, praised Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger’s decision to return Kimmel to the air, but warned “it must be the first step in a concerted effort to defend free speech and press freedom against political intimidation.”

“The $16 million settlement with Donald Trump, combined with the absence of a strong public defense of ABC News journalists under attack, has emboldened Administration efforts to intimidate the press,” said the letter, which included the signatures of former ABC News correspondents Sam Donaldson, Chris Bury, Ned Potter, Judy Muller and Brian Rooney.

Nexstar is still keeping “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off its ABC affiliates. A Nexstar representative said Wednesday the company is having “productive discussions with executives at the Walt Disney Company, with a focus on ensuring the program reflects and respects the diverse interests of the communities we serve.”

A representative for Sinclair, which preempted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in markets such as Seattle and Washington, D.C., said in a statement that the company is also monitoring the situation before deciding to return the program to its ABC station program lineups.

An emotional Jimmy Kimmel has criticised “anti-American” threats to free speech during his return to late-night US television – following a brief suspension after comments he made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The comedian said during Tuesday’s show – his first since the controversy – that “it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man”.

Kimmel also compared Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr to a mob boss, and poked fun at President Donald Trump’s appearance at the UN – including an escalator mishap.

But Tuesday’s episode was not viewable in all markets, due to resistance from many local stations affiliated with ABC.

It was, however, available on streaming service Hulu + Live TV, owned by Disney – which is also the parent of ABC.

Dozens of local TV stations in the US run by affiliates Nexstar and Sinclair said they would continue to replace Jimmy Kimmel Live! with alternate programming for now.

Carr – who leads the organisation that regulates American television – praised their decision in a post on X on Tuesday.

“We need to keep empowering local TV stations to serve their communities of license,” said Carr, a Trump appointee, who last week threatened action against Disney and ABC, the companies that produce and air Kimmel’s show.

Speaking on Tuesday’s programme, Kimmel said he had not wanted to blame any specific group for Kirk’s murder, and praised Erika Kirk for forgiving her husband’s alleged killer at a weekend memorial service.

“It was a selfless act of grace… that touched me deeply,” Kimmel said.

Kimmel was critical of Carr, who was one of the first to call for his suspension, saying that the FCC chair boss was once a free speech advocate, but flipped after Kimmel’s controversial show last week.

He also criticised Trump for calling for the axing of his fellow late-night hosts – all who are frequent critics of the president as they riff on the day’s biggest news stories.

“Our leader celebrates people losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke,” Kimmel said, adding that Trump openly rooting for people to lose their jobs was “un-American” and “dangerous”.

Kimmel also pretended to open a statement written for him to read aloud by Disney, before reading out the words: “How to reactivate your Disney+ subscription”. There had been calls to cancel streaming subscriptions over Kimmel’s brief suspension.

The comedian’s comeback was praised by celebrity supporters, including actor Ben Stiller, who lauded his “brilliant monologue”.

But Kimmel’s return was not universally applauded. About an hour before showtime, Trump said on his social media platform that he could not believe that ABC had reinstated the comedian, saying the White House was told the show was cancelled.

“Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his ‘talent’ was never there,” Trump wrote.

Trump also threatened to “test ABC out on this”.

Kimmel’s Tuesday night guests were Twisters and Chad Powers actor Glen Powell and musical guest Sarah McLachlan.

He was also joined by Hollywood legend and notable Trump critic Robert De Niro, who appeared in a skit in which he portrayed Carr. “Speech, it ain’t free no more,” De Niro quipped.

The comedian’s show was pulled after his 15 September monologue about the shooting of Kirk caused uproar.

He said that Trump and his allies were “desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them” and trying to “score political points from it”.

He also likened Trump’s reaction to the influencer’s murder to “how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish”.

The jokes raised the ire of Carr, who said Kimmel was “appearing to directly mislead the American public” with his comments about Kirk’s killer.

The FCC regulates radio, TV and satellite airwaves, giving it power over a range of matters, including mergers and decency complaints.

His remarks, coupled with concerns from local broadcasters that run ABC affiliates, prompted the network to “indefinitely” suspend Kimmel’s show.

The show’s suspension prompted strong backlash from lawmakers, labour unions, and free speech proponents. Celebrity campaigns and boycotts targeted Disney, ABC’s parent company.

Kimmel was also backed by his colleagues in late night, including CBS host Stephen Colbert – whose show will end in May – Jon Stewart and Seth Meyers.

Disney made its announcement on Monday that it would bring back the show after “having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy”.

Still, Nexstar, one of the biggest owners of TV stations in the US, said on Tuesday that it would continue to pre-empt Kimmel’s show “pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve”.

The media company is currently trying to close a $6.2bn (£4.86bn) deal to acquire its rival Tegna that needs FCC approval.

Sinclair, the largest ABC affiliate group in the US, also said it would air alternate programming.

Nexstar and Sinclair together control more than 20% of ABC’s affiliated television stations, according to the New York Times.

Jimmy Kimmel is back — and like his late-night peers, he’s not shying away from talking about ABC’s decision to bench him.

Tuesday’s show marked Kimmel’s return to his talk series since Walt Disney Co.-owned ABC announced last week that it was suspending the show indefinitely. The decision came after Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcasting, owners of ABC affiliates, said they would not air the show because of comments Kimmel made about the suspect in the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Both companies said they would continue to keep “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off air.

Kimmel was greeted by the studio audience with a long standing ovation and chants of “Jimmy.” He cracked a joke to open: “Who had a weirder 48 hours — me or the CEO of Tylenol?”

The host said he was moved by the support he had received from friends and fans, but especially from those who disagree with him. He cited comments from Ted Cruz and mentioned the support he received from Ben Shapiro, Candace Owens and Mitch McConnell.

“Our government cannot be allowed to control what we do and do not say on television, and that we have to stand up to it,” he said. “I’ve been hearing a lot about what I need to say and do tonight, and the truth is, I don’t think what I have to say is going to make much of a difference. If you like me, you like me; if you don’t, you don’t; I have no illusions about changing anyone’s mind.”

What was most important to him, though, was imparting that it was “never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” Kimmel said through tears.

“I understand that to some that felt either ill timed or unclear or maybe both, and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset,” Kimmel said of his comments about Kirk’s suspected killer. “If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I’d have felt the same way. I have many friends and family members on the other side who I love and remain close to, even though we don’t agree on politics at all. I don’t think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone. This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution and it isn’t.”

Kimmel also said his ability to speak freely is “something I’m embarrassed to say I took for granted until they pulled my friend Stephen [Colbert] off the air and tried to coerce the affiliates who run our show in the cities that you live in to take my show off the air.”

“That’s not legal,” he continued. “That’s not American. That is un-American.”

The host did not comment on his suspension until Tuesday’s episode, which will air on the West Coast at 11:35 p.m. PT, but talk show hosts, actors, comedians, writers and even the former head of Disney had condemned ABC’s decision to pause production.

Hours before he taped Tuesday’s episode, Kimmel posted on Instagram for the first time since his suspension, sharing a photo of himself with iconic television creator Norman Lear. Kimmel captioned the photo “Missing this guy today.” The late Lear, whom Kimmel collaborated with on the television specials “Live in Front of a Studio Audience,” was an outspoken advocate for freedom of speech and the 1st Amendment and he founded the organization People for the American Way, which aims to stop censorship as one of its many goals.

Trump also took to social media before Tuesday’s episode to express his thoughts about Kimmel’s return, writing on Truth Social that he couldn’t believe the show was coming back: “The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled [sic]!”

“Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who’s not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE,” Trump continued. “He is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution.

He went on to write he wanted to “test ABC out on this.”

“Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars,” he wrote, referencing the settlement with ABC after Trump filed a defamation lawsuit over inaccurate statements made about him by ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos. “This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.”

Pressure to suspend Kimmel came from Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, who said in a podcast interview last week that ABC had to act on Kimmel’s comments. The Trump appointee said, “We can do it the easy way or the hard way.”

Hours later, Nexstar, which controls 32 ABC affiliates, agreed to drop “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” indefinitely, and ABC followed with its own announcement that it was pulling Kimmel from the network. Sinclair Broadcasting, a TV station company long sympathetic to conservative causes, also shelved the show and went a step further by demanding that Kimmel make a financial contribution to Kirk’s family and his conservative advocacy organization Turning Point USA.

FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez, one of three commissioners, and the only Democratic member, released a searing statement the next day.

Gomez said the FCC “does not have the authority, the ability, or the constitutional right to police content or punish broadcasters for speech the government dislikes” and called the network’s move a “shameful show of cowardly corporate capitulation by ABC that has put the foundation of the First Amendment in danger.”

“When corporations surrender in the face of that pressure, they endanger not just themselves, but the right to free expression for everyone in this country,” Gomez continued. “The duty to defend the First Amendment does not rest with government, but with all of us. Free speech is the foundation of our democracy, and we must push back against any attempt to erode it.”

Times staff writers Stephen Battaglio and Meg James contributed to this report.

JIMMY Kimmel returned to his show on Tuesday night after ABC yanked him from the air nearly a week ago.

Kimmel, 57, addressed his audience after his show was pulled last week over controversial comments he made about political activist and influencer Charlie Kirk’s shooter.

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During his opening monologue, Kimmel took the time to speak out about free speech and the political climate in America.

The late night host took to the stage as he was welcomed with a standing ovation and chants of “Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy.”

The comedian opened the show with a crack, “If you’re just joining us, we are preempting your regularly scheduled encore episode of Celebrity Family Feud to bring you this special report.”

“I’m happy to be here tonight,” he added.

“I’m not sure who had a weirder 48 hours, me or the CEO of Tylenol,” he said with a chuckle.

Kimmel took the time to thank a slew of friends, including his “fellow late-night talk show hosts, my friend Stephen Colbert who found himself in this predicament. My friend, John Stewart, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Fallon.”

He also thanked the many people who don’t align with his political leanings but who still stood up for his right to say it.

He thanked Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Candace Owens, Mitch McConnell, and then said “and even my old pal Ted Cruz,” before running a sound bite from the Texas senator.

Kimmel then continued “Some of the things they say even make me want to throw up but it takes courage for them to speak out against this administration. They did it. They deserve credit for it.”

ON HIS COMMENTS ON CHARLIE KIRK’S KILLER

The late-night host’s voice cracked as he opened up about the murder of activist Charlie Kirk and cleared the air, denouncing his killing unequivocally.

He continued, “I do want to make something clear, because it’s important to me as a human and that is you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” he said as he fought back tears.

“I posted a message on Instagram the day he was killed, sending love to [Kirk’s] family and asking for compassion, and I meant it, and I still do, nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual.”

“That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make. But I understand that to some that felt either it was ill-timed or unclear or maybe both, and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset,” he continued.

“If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I’d have felt the same way. I have many friends and family members on the other side who I love and remain close to, even though we don’t agree on politics at all, I don’t think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone.

“This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution and it isn’t it ever and also, selfishly, I am the person who gets a lot of threats. I get many ugly and scary threats against my life, my wife, my kids, my co workers because of what I choose to say, and I know those threats don’t come from the kind of people on the right who I know and love.”

“So that’s what I wanted to say on that subject,” he continued.

ON RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH

Kimmel then turned to the First Amendment, explaining that he’s spoken with comedians in countries like Russia and the Middle East who said they’d be thrown in jail or worse for making fun of those in power.

“They know how lucky we are here.

“Our freedom to speak is what they admire most about this country, and that’s something I’m embarrassed to say I took for granted until they pulled my friend Steven [Colbert] off the air and tried to coerce the affiliates who run our show in the cities that you live in to take my show off the air.

“That’s not legal. That’s not American. That is un-American.”

He then turned his sites to Federal Communications Chairman, Brendan Carr.

“Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC, telling an American company, We can do this the easy way or the hard way,’ and that these companies can find ways to change conduct and take action on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead, in addition to being a direct violation of the First Amendment, is not a particularly intelligent threat to make in public,” Kimmel said.

The late night host then shared a clip of President Donald Trump vehemently heralding free speech in a quote in 2022.

He then played another quote from the president, which was from this week, in which he said of Kimmel “Look, he was fired. He had no talent. He’s a whack job, but he had no talent. More importantly, then talent, because a lot of people who have no talent get ratings, he had no ratings,” to which the audience booed.

Kimmel then joked “He tried, did his best to cancel me instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show which backfired ‘bigly.’

“He might have to release the Epstein files to distract us from this now,” to which his audience erupted in raucous applause.

RATINGS BOOST?

As The U.S. Sun previously revealed, ABC execs are expecting Tuesday night’s show will prove a ratings boom.

The source said, “Everybody is excited about Kimmel’s expected ratings boost this week.

“Jimmy is becoming an icon for free speech… and now he’ll be even more secure as long as he plays his cards right.”

However, the late night host’s big return wasn’t aired in all markets.

Affiliate carriers, Sinclair and Nexstar, said they wouldn’t be airing Kimmel’s return on their stations.

“There are ongoing talks this morning [Tuesday] between Nexstar, Sinclair, and Disney, but Disney has drawn the line and is prepared for the fight,” an insider revealed.

On Monday night, Sinclair Broadcasting Group announced its decision to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! across its ABC affiliate stations, replacing the program with local news.

However, an insider pointed out that affiliate stations have contractual obligations to carry ABC programming, including advertisements that have already been sold.

The source alleged, “The affiliates are basically posturing for the White House,” while suggesting that the companies may be attempting to breach their contracts with ABC.

NEXSTAR’S BIG MOVE

Nexstar is seeking approval from the Trump administration’s FCC for an unprecedented acquisition of its competitor, Tegna, according to The New York Times.

If approved, the deal would likely surpass the current cap on households a single media company can reach.

An insider told The U.S. Sun that Disney is ready to take on Sinclair and Nexstar in the ongoing dispute over the suspension of Kimmel Live!

“Disney legal is prepared to fight it out, and right now, from a brand perspective, they’ve got nothing to lose by fighting,” the source said. “Disney holds the cards here.”

When reached for comment by The U.S. Sun, Nexstar declined to respond.

ABC and Sinclair were also contacted for comment.

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LATE NIGHT DRAMA

Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended after backlash erupted over controversial comments the comedian made regarding the suspected assassin of activist and influencer Charlie Kirk.

Just hours before his scheduled return on Tuesday night, Kimmel broke his silence.

The comedian posted a photo of himself with his late friend and producer Norman Lear, captioned, “Missing this guy today.”

KIMMEL RETURNS

On Monday afternoon, ABC issued a statement confirming that “thoughtful discussions” had taken place with Kimmel following his suspension.

The statement read, “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.

“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.”

CHAOS ON SET

As The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed last week, the decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! was made just minutes before taping began on Wednesday, September 17th.

“Things transpired very fast. Word filtered down to the individual stations around 3 pm that Jimmy would get pulled, and it sent station heads panicking,” an insider shared.

“Jimmy and the crew were getting ready to film when, at 3:45 pm, news broke widely, and that’s how the crew found out. They were shocked.”

Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, described Kimmel’s remarks as “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.”

KIRK’S MURDER

Charlie Kirk was killed on September 10th while speaking with students at Utah Valley University in Orem.

Tyler Robinson, 22, allegedly fired a single shot at Kirk, according to officials.

Robinson turned himself in 33 hours later after confessing the crime to his family, Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed.

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EXPLAINER

As Kimmel returns, he is expected to address the controversy that led major station groups to drop his late-night comedy show.

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel returns to ABC on Tuesday in the United States after being suspended for nearly a week following controversial remarks about the alleged assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which provoked backlash from the administration of President Donald Trump.

As he takes the stage again, Kimmel is expected to address the controversy, which stirred outrage among some viewers, triggered threats of federal regulatory action, sparked a debate over freedom of speech, and led two major television station groups to pull the late-night comedy show Jimmy Kimmel Live! from their schedules.

Here is what we know:

When will Jimmy Kimmel come back on air?

Jimmy Kimmel Live! is scheduled to return on Tuesday night in its regular 11:35pm ET slot (03:35 GMT on Wednesday), airing on ABC, with episodes also available to stream on Hulu.

However, Sinclair Broadcast Group – a major operator of local TV stations that include more than 30 ABC affiliates – announced that those stations will avoid Kimmel’s show, and instead, will air local news programming. Washington, DC, and parts of California and Florida will be among the parts of the US that will be affected by Sinclair’s decision.

Separately, Nexstar, also a big owner of ABC affiliate stations, announced on Tuesday that it will replace Jimmy Kimmel Live! with different programming.

Where can you watch it?

Viewers in major US markets, such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, where Disney owns and operates local ABC affiliates, will be able to watch the show. It will also be available nationwide on abc.com and via streaming on Hulu.

You can also watch ABC on the following platforms:

• DirecTV
• FuboSling
• Hulu + Live TV
• Full episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! are available the next day on Hulu and Disney+, with clips posted to the show’s YouTube channel after an episode airs, including Kimmel’s opening monologue.

What is expected to happen on the show?

Kimmel is expected to address the events of the past week – in terms of what happened to him. But how he does this, and what else he focuses on, is unclear.

What happened to Kimmel and his show?

On September 10, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at a university event in Utah. After a 33-hour manhunt, police arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson and charged him with aggravated murder.

Prosecutors have since said that though Robinson comes from a staunchly Republican family, his own politics had veered to the left in recent years, based on interviews with his relatives.

Before those revelations from prosecutors, Kimmel had criticised President Donald Trump and his supporters over their response to Kirk’s death. On his show, he accused the “MAGA gang” of twisting the story for political gain by suggesting that the suspected assassin was left-leaning. Kimmel also mocked Trump’s reaction to Kirk’s death – the president had described the killed activist as a close friend, but then, in public comments, also appeared distracted about renovations at the White House – as childish.

Kimmel’s remarks led to a strong backlash. On September 17, broadcast groups Nexstar and Sinclair pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! from their stations.

The dispute grew after Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Brendan Carr called for action against Kimmel, Disney and ABC, a move some condemned as government overreach.

Since the suspension, some viewers have begun cancelling subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu, using hashtags like #CancelDisney and #CancelABC to protest.

Who are the guests expected in this show?

US reports say that on Tuesday, Jimmy Kimmel Live! will host American actor Glen Powell and Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan. The following night, the guests are set to include American actors Ethan Hawke and Lisa Ann Walter.

On Thursday, the show’s couch will feature retired American football star Peyton Manning and actor Oscar Nunez, with Alex G taking the stage as the musical act.

Sept. 23 (UPI) — Nexstar Media Group will not air “Jimmy Kimmel, Live!” and joined the Sinclair Broadcast Group in pre-empting the ABC talk show when it is scheduled to resume on Tuesday.

Nexstar officials announced their decision a day after Sinclair said it also would pre-empt Kimmel’s show due to his falsely claiming the alleged shooter of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was a MAGA supporter.

“We made a decision last week to pre-empt ‘Jimmy Kimmel, Live!’ following what ABC referred to as Mr. Kimmel’s’ ill-timed and insensitive’ comments at a critical time in our national discourse,” Nexstar officials said in a news release, as reported by NBC News.

“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 and Sinclair own a combined total of nearly 70 local stations that account for nearly a fourth of ABC stations, according to The New York Times.

Nexstar and Sinclair intend to air news programming instead of Kimmel’s talk show.

Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass., wrote a letter to Nexstar Media Group executives that “demands answers” regarding why they are pre-empting “Jimmy Kimmel, Live!” on affiliate stations.

“The public owns the airwaves — not the FCC chairman, not [President] Donald Trump and not Nexstar,” McGovern said Monday in a press release.

“Local TV stations have a responsibility to serve the public interest — not advance political vendettas against those who express opinions the government doesn’t like,” he continued.

“Using the threat of license revocation to strong-arm a network into silencing a comedian is not only corrupt — it’s almost certainly unconstitutional.”

During his opening monologue on Sept. 15, Kimmel said, “The MAGA gang desperately [is] 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.”

ABC and its owner, the Walt Disney Corp., suspended his show indefinitely the next day but announced it would resume Tuesday night.

Television station giant Nexstar Media Group said it will not run “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” as the Walt Disney Co. brings the ABC comedian back to television Tuesday night.

Disney on Monday reversed its suspension of the late-night talk show after the host’s comments about the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk set off a political firestorm.

Nexstar joins Sinclair Broadcast Group in continuing to keep Kimmel off the air in cities around the country.

“We made a decision last week to preempt ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ following what ABC referred to as Mr. Kimmel’s ‘ill-time and insensitive’ comments at a critical time in our national discourse,” Nexstar said in a statement. “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.”

The two television station groups cover about 25% of television homes, which will diminish the reach of advertisers who buy time in the television program.

Nexstar needs approval of the Federal Communications Commission for its $6.2-billion takeover of Tegna, another large television station group. Last week, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr called on ABC to take action.

Nexstar was the first station group to pull Kimmel, prompting Disney to put the show on hiatus.

This is a developing story.

Before Disney announced Monday that Jimmy Kimmel would be returning to ABC, the dialogue about the indefinite pause on his late-night show had continued to heat up.

Protesters packed the Hollywood block where Kimmel’s show is taped and sounded off both online and in public displays since the announcement of the suspension last week, and a horde of actors, writers, musicians and artists made their opinions on the matter clear.

Tom Hanks, Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, Kerry Washington, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Pedro Pascal, Maya Rudolph and more than 400 other artists signed an open letter organized by the American Civil Liberties Union calling for the defense of free speech in the wake of Kimmel’s benching.

The letter, which was published Monday, says Kimmel’s suspension marks “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation” and said that the government’s “attempt to silence its critics” 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,” the letter continues. “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.”

The letter came together over the weekend, according to Jessica Weitz, director of artist and entertainment engagement at the ACLU. The list of names continued to grow after the letter was published, she said.

“Behind those signatures are teams of people who made their own calls to their networks to ask people to join, feeling strongly that this attack on free expression must be called out,” Weitz said in a statement to The Times. “When speech is being targeted with so much precision, it takes courage from every single person to speak out — and the creative community is meeting the urgency of this moment.”

Kimmel’s late-night program, which airs weeknights on ABC, has been dark since Wednesday, when the Disney-owned network announced it will be “preempted indefinitely.” The decision came after two major owners of ABC affiliates said they were dropping the show because of Kimmel’s remarks about the suspect in the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Late-night hosts were quick to respond to the news, with Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon each commenting on Kimmel’s situation in their Thursday episodes.

Over the weekend, HBO talk shows “Real Time With Bill Maher” and “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” weighed in on the controversy, beginning with Maher, who focused on Kimmel in his monologue Friday. Maher referred to “Politically Incorrect,” his late-night show that was canceled by ABC in 2002 after advertisers pulled out following a comment by the host about the Sept. 11 hijackers, saying they were “not cowardly.” Kimmel’s show replaced Maher’s slot.

“I got canceled before cancel even had a culture,” Maher said. “This s— ain’t new. It’s worse. We’ll get to that. But you know, ABC, they are steady. ABC stands for ‘Always be caving.’ So Jimmy, pal, I am with you. I support you. And on the bright side, you don’t have to pretend anymore that you like Disneyland.”

Maher, who is a self-described “old-school liberal” and has been critical of the Democratic Party in recent years, said he disagreed with Kimmel’s comments about Kirk’s suspected killer but believed he shouldn’t lose his job over them.

“You have the right to be wrong or to have any opinion you want, he said. “That’s what the 1st Amendment is all about.”

“Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver zeroed in on Kimmel’s suspension and the Federal Communications Commission during his Sunday night episode. He blasted FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, directly addressed Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger and dove into the implications of the suspension in a nearly 30-minute-long segment.

“Kimmel is by no means the first casualty in Trump’s attacks on free speech. He’s just the latest canary in the coal mine — a mine that, at this point, now seems more dead canary than coal,” Oliver said. “This Kimmel situation does feel like a turning point, and not because comedians are important, but because we are not. If the government can force a network to pull a late-night show off the air and do so in plain view, it can do a f— of a lot worse.”

In addressing Disney head Iger, Oliver urged him to understand that “giving the bully your lunch money doesn’t make him go away. It just makes him come back hungrier each time.”

Oliver said his show is “lucky” to be in a different situation than Kimmel’s because neither HBO or its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, owns broadcast networks, meaning they are “much less susceptible to pressure from the FCC.” He then cut to a news segment about how Paramount Skydance, the parent company of CBS, is preparing a bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, which Oliver followed up with repeated expletives.

The women who host ABC’s “The View,” which is known for not shying away from hot-button topics, had been silent on the issue last week, but addressed Kimmel’s suspension Monday.

“Did y’all really think we weren’t going to talk about Jimmy Kimmel?” host Whoopi Goldberg said. “I mean, have you watched the show over the last 29 seasons? No one silences us.”

FCC head Carr has indicated that “The View” might be the next subject of a future investigation.

The panel, including Ana Navarro and Alyssa Farah Griffin, also weighed in before Goldberg said, “We fight for everybody’s right to have freedom of speech because it means my speech is free, it means your speech is free.”

So Jimmy Kimmel is coming back, fast enough that there are still folks out there who didn’t know he was gone.

Hallelujah? Praise be to ABC? Free speech triumphs?

It all depends on Tuesday night, when we see if Kimmel returns undaunted, or if he has been subdued. Of all the consequential, crazy, frightening events that have taken place in recent days, Kimmel’s return should be a moment we all watch — a real-time, late-night look at how successful our president is at forcing us to censor ourselves through fear.

Please, Jimmy, don’t back down.

If Kimmel tempers his comedy now, pulls his punches on making fun of power, he sends the message that we should all be afraid, that we should all bend. Maybe he didn’t sign up for this, but here he is — a person in a position of influence being forced to make a risky choice between safety and country.

That sounds terribly dramatic, I know, but self-censorship is the heart of authoritarianism. When people of power are too scared to even crack a joke, what does that mean for the average person?

If Kimmel, with his celebrity, clout and wealth, cannot stand up to this president, what chance do the rest of us have?

Patriotism used to be a simple thing. A bit of apple pie, a flag on the Fourth of July, maybe even a twinge of pride when the national anthem plays and all the words pop into your mind even though you can’t find your car keys or remember what day it is.

It’s just something there, running in the background — an unspoken acknowledgment that being American is a pretty terrific thing to be.

Now, of course, patriotism is the most loaded of words. It’s been masticated and barfed out by the MAGA movement into a specific gruel — a white, Western-centric dogma that demands a narrow and angry Christianity dominate civic life.

There have been a deluge of examples of this subversion in recent days. The Pentagon is threatening to punish journalists who report information it doesn’t explicitly provide. The president used social media to demand U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi go after his perceived enemies.

The one that put a knot in my stomach was the speech by Stephen Miller, Trump’s immigration czar, speaking, without humor, at the memorial for Charlie Kirk.

“We are the storm,” Miller said, hinting back at a QAnon conspiracy theory about a violent reordering of society.

That’s disturbing, but actually mild compared with what he said next, a now-familiar Christian nationalist rant.

“Our lineage and our legacy hails back to Athens, to Rome, to Philadelphia, to Monticello,” Miller said. “Our ancestors built the cities they produced, the art and architecture they built. The industry.”

Who’s going to tell him about Sally Hemings? But he continued with an attack on the “yous” who don’t agree with this worldview, the “yous,” like Kimmel, one presumes (though Kimmel’s name did not come up) who oppose this cruel version of America.

“You are wickedness, you are jealousy, you are envy, you are hatred, you are nothing,” Miller said. “You can build nothing. You can produce nothing. You can create nothing.”

Humor, of course, ain’t nothing, which is why this administration can’t stand it.

Humor builds camaraderie. It produces dopamine and serotonin, the glue of human bonding. It drains away fear, and creates hope.

Which is why autocrats always go after comedians pretty early on. It’s not thin skin, though Trump seems to have that. It’s effective management of dissent.

Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels knew it. In 1939, after his party had set up a Chamber of Culture that required all performers to adhere to certain rules, he banned five German comedians — Werner Finck, Peter Sachse, Helmuth Buth, Wilhelm Meissner and Manfred Dlugi — for making political jokes that didn’t support the regime. He basically ended their careers for daring satire against Nazi leaders, claiming people didn’t find it funny.

“(I)n their public appearances they displayed a lack of any positive attitude toward National Socialism and therewith caused grave annoyance in public and especially to party comrades,” the New York Times reported the German government claiming at the time.

Sounds familiar.

Kimmel, of course, is not the only comedian speaking out. Jon Stewart has hit back on “The Daily Show,” pretending to be scared into submission, perhaps a hat tip to Finck, who famously joked, “I am not saying anything. And even that I am not saying.”

Stephen Colbert roasted Disney with a very funny parody video. Political cartoonists are having a field day.

And there are plenty of others pushing back. Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken to all-caps rebuttals. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, whom Trump called “nothing,” is also vocal in his opposition, especially of National Guard troops in Chicago.

The collective power of the powerful is no joke. It means something.

But all the sober talk in the world can’t rival one spot-on dig when it comes to kicking the clay feet of would-be dictators. Mark Twain said it best: Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand. Which is what makes Kimmel so relevant in this moment.

Can he come back with a laugh — proving we have nothing to fear but fear itself — or are we seriously in trouble?

Announcement comes nearly a week after the late-night host was controversially suspended for remarks about Charlie Kirk.

US entertainment company Disney has announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live will return to the air, six days after it suspended the talk-show host following threats by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman over comments the host had made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer.

In announcing the decision on Monday, ABC’s parent company said the show will return to the air on Tuesday and that it had suspended production of the late-night comedy show “to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country”.

Kimmel’s show was taken off the air on September 17, after he joked about the political reaction to the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.

The decision by US network ABC to pull the show led to widespread criticism, as well as boycotts against Disney and its streaming services.

In a statement issued on Monday, the ABC said it had “spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday”.

Disney CEO Bob Iger, Disney Entertainment co-chair Dana Walden and Kimmel were in talks over the weekend and reached a decision on Monday to return Kimmel to the air, according to two people familiar with the matter, the Reuters news agency reported.

The decision was guided by what was in the entertainment company’s best interest, rather than external pressure from station owners or the FCC, the sources said.

Kimmel is expected to address the issue when his show returns on Tuesday, according to the sources.

A spokeswoman for Kimmel could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters.

Trump, who has repeatedly pressured broadcasters to stop airing content that he has found objectionable, had celebrated the news of Kimmel’s suspension and referred to it erroneously as an outright cancellation of the show.

Kimmel, who has frequently targeted Trump in his show, drew fire for remarks he made last Monday about the September 10 assassination of Kirk, who was shot down while addressing a crowd of 3,000 people on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem.

Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative political activist and podcast host, had been credited for building support for Trump and the Republican Party among young voters in 2024.

Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old technical school student from Utah, has been charged with Kirk’s murder, but the precise motive for the killing remains unclear.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has used his office and the courts to attack unflattering speech about him that he has called defamatory or false. Throughout both his terms, Trump has threatened to rescind licences for local broadcast affiliates of national networks. Licences are approved by the FCC, a nominally independent regulatory body.

Disney’s move signals the first big push back against the Trump administration by big media.

The ABC suspended Kimmel’s show on Wednesday after Carr threatened investigations and regulatory action against licensed broadcasters who aired Kimmel.

The owners of dozens of local television stations affiliated with the ABC said they would no longer carry the show, including Nexstar, which needs FCC approval for a $6.2bn merger with Tegna.

On Friday, Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz, a Republican, said that Carr’s threat was dangerous.

As thousands gather for Charlie Kirk’s memorial, debate rages over a clampdown on free speech in the US. Late-night TV hosts have spoken out in support of Jimmy Kimmel following his cancellation, while President Donald Trump reiterated his view that critical coverage of him is illegal.