Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned last night after a controversial suspension following comments he made about the death of Charlie Kirk, and an inside source has revealed the ‘real reason’ he agreed to resume.
The comedian was suspended after saying that Trump supporters were trying to present the suspected shooter Tyler Robinson as ‘anything other than one of their own’, and accused politicians of trying to ‘score points’ over his death.
He returned last night with an emotional 28-minute monologue in which he hit out at President Donald Trump, who is widely believed to have influenced Disney’s decision to suspend the comedian.
Despite negotiating his comeback with Disney, the parent company of ABC who broadcast his show, two major media groups who own ABC affiliate channels refused to show his return.
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This meant that millions were unable to watch Kimmel’s return to TV across the US, leading to ABC posting his monologue to YouTube in full right after it finished.
Whilst his return was emotional, leaving Kimmel nearly in tears, many would perhaps understand if the comedian was unwilling to return after the decision made by Disney.
The comedian’s contract expires in 2026, and he could’ve continued to earn his roughly $15-20 million salary without having to work alongside a company which in the view of many, hung him out to try to avoid the ire of Donald Trump.
In deciding to come back however, Kimmel was reportedly not thinking about himself.
An anonymous source spoke to Daily Mail about his return, saying that he made the decision out of ‘respect’ for the people that work for him.
They went on to say: “He wanted everyone in his crew not to miss any pay and any more work than they already have missed.
“[He wants] the people he works with [to] have some time to figure out their next steps.”
They stated that they believed that Kimmel was likely to leave his contract at ABC after its conclusion in 2026, and that he would have preferred to leave right away if not for his obligation to his staff.
Whilst the overwhelming reaction to Kimmel’s return has been positive, that has not been the consensus view.
Donald Trump lashed out at the decision to bring back the comedian, taking to Truth Social with threats to sue ABC.
He said in a post: “I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back. ABC told the White House that his Show was cancelled!
“Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his ‘talent’ was never there… I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative.
“A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.”
The $16 million in question was a settlement agreed as part of a defamation lawsuit against Disney after George Stephanopoulos asserted on ABC News that the President had been ‘found liable for rape by a jury’.
Trump had instead been found guilty of sexual abuse by a jury in a civil case brought by E. Jean Carroll.
Topics: Jimmy Kimmel, Donald Trump, Disney, Charlie Kirk, TV and Film, TV, Celebrity
Michael Slavin