The indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel‘s show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, has sent shockwaves throughout the entertainment industry. Many of Kimmel’s contemporaries, like Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, David Letterman, and Jon Stewart, have reacted to the development. Kimmel’s suspension came after his controversial comments about Charlie Kirk’s shooting and his criticism of the Trump administration’s reaction.
Late-night show hosts react to Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s suspension
Many prominent late-night talk show hosts came forward to share their thoughts after Jimmy Kimmel Live! was pulled by ABC indefinitely following his comments on Charlie Kirk’s shooting.
Jimmy Fallon was one of the first to react when he talked about Kimmel’s suspension on his show. “This morning I woke up to 100 text messages from my dad saying, ‘I’m sorry they cancelled your show.’ I go, ‘That’s not me, that’s Jimmy Kimmel,'” Fallon joked. He also acknowledged the growing concerns about censorship and expressed his hopes that Kimmel will return soon.
Stephen Colbert, whose show was also canceled by CBS in a political firestorm, stood up for his friend, Jimmy Kimmel. On CBS’s The Late Show, Colbert reacted to FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s comments urging broadcasters to push back against Disney programming that falls short of community values, saying, “You know what my community values are, Buster? Freedom of speech. Or, as Alexander Hamilton called it, ‘Hakuna Matata.’” (via Deadline)
Seth Meyers was more direct about his stance on the incident while still maintaining his humorous approach. “His administration is pursuing a crackdown on free speech — and completely unrelated, I just want to say, before we get started here, that I’ve always admired and respected Mr. Trump,” Meyers said on the September 18 episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers.
He further added, “It is a privilege and an honor to call Jimmy Kimmel my friend in the same way that it’s a privilege and honor to do this show every night.” He concluded, “We must all stand up for the principles of free expression. There’s a reason free speech is in the very first amendment.”
David Letterman also spoke out while appearing at The Atlantic Festival on September 18. He said, “We all see where this is going, correct? This is managed media, and it’s no good, it’s silly, it’s ridiculous, and you can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian and criminal administration in the Oval Office. That’s just not how this works.”
Jon Stewart also commented on the issue with a satirical “government-approved” program on The Daily Show, mocking Kimmel’s cancellation.
Originally reported by Sourav Chakraborty on ComingSoon.
