Hollywood defends Jimmy Kimmel as ABC suspends show amid controversy

ABC has suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely after the late-night host addressed Charlie Kirk’s assassination and commented on suspected assailant Tyler Robinson in his opening monologue, drawing swift backlash from conservatives and others. Disney's ABC said the decision was made hours before the Sept. 17 broadcast and cited concerns about the statements made on the program earlier in the week.

Following the suspension, a broad coalition of Hollywood figures joined the American Civil Liberties Union to defend Kimmel's right to speak. More than 430 stars from film, television and stage signed an open letter organized with the ACLU, including Meryl Streep, Selena Gomez, Tom Hanks, Ben Affleck, Jane Fonda, Pedro Pascal, Jamie Lee Curtis, Robert De Niro, Olivia Rodrigo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Natalie Portman, Regina King, and others. The letter begins: 'We the people must never accept government threats to our freedom of speech. Efforts by leaders to pressure artists, journalists, and companies with retaliation for their speech strike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country.' It goes on: 'Last week, Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air after the government threatened a private company with retaliation, marking a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.' 'We know this moment is bigger than us and our industry. Teachers, government employees, law firms, researchers, universities, students and so many more are also facing direct attacks on their freedom of expression.' 'Regardless of our political affiliation, or whether we engage in politics or not, we all love our country. We also share the belief that our voices should never be silenced by those in power – because if it happens to one of us, it happens to all of us. 'This is the moment to defend free speech across our nation. We encourage all Americans to join us, along with the ACLU, in the fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights.' In total, more than 430 movie, TV and stage stars as well as comedians, directors and writers added their names. Others include Jason Bateman, Jane Fonda, Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Rodrigo, Ben Stiller, Jean Smart, Michael Keaton, Noah Wyle, Regina King, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Natalie Portman, Maya Rudolph, Mark Ruffalo and Kerry Washington.

On Monday's The View, co-host Whoopi Goldberg opened the show saying: 'No one silences us' and she and her fellow hosts condemned Disney's decision. 'I don´t understand how in this country, where the First Amendment was made to the Constitution to guarantee freedom of the press and freedom of speech, how the government itself is using its weight and power to bully and scare people into silence,' Ana Navarro said. While conservatives celebrated the suspension, and President Donald Trump congratulated ABC for suspending Kimmel, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has united with Kimmel's celebrity friends to stand 'in solidarity' with the host.

The late-night show, which Kimmel has hosted since 2003, was pulled hours before its Sept. 17 broadcast following comments the comedian made on the program earlier that week regarding the fatal shooting of Kirk in Utah. Kimmel had said of Robinson: 'The MAGA gang 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.' He then cut to a video of Donald Trump talking to reporters, where he answered a question about how he was handling Kirk's death. When asked how he was holding up, the president responded: 'I think very good,' before directing the reporter's attention to construction on the White House ballroom. 'He's at the fourth stage of grief: construction,' Kimmel joked. 'This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.'

Two days later, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr threatened repercussions for Kimmel's comments, and Sinclair and Nexstar pulled programming. The late-night show, which Kimmel has hosted since 2003, was pulled by Disney’s ABC hours before its Sept. 17 broadcast following comments the comedian made on the program earlier that week regarding the fatal shooting of Kirk in Utah.

Kimmel has yet to make a public comment on the suspension. The show's most conservative voice, Alyssa Farah Griffin, said: 'The First Amendment is the first for a reason, because you need to be able to hold those in power accountable.' His status in the industry remains unclear as networks and unions weigh the boundaries of satire, political commentary and advertiser and corporate pressure in a volatile media landscape.

The broad defense of Kimmel comes as the entertainment industry grapples with how to balance provocative comedy and accountability in the wake of rapid political change. While some policymakers and media watchdogs argued that government pressure to suppress speech is dangerous and antithetical to constitutional rights, others suggested the need for caution when remarks touch on violence and living figures tied to real-world events. The debate has intensified as streaming and traditional broadcasts navigate ongoing shifts in audience loyalty and advertising models, along with heightened scrutiny of public figures who use talk shows as platforms for political commentary.

As the industry processes the suspension and the show’s future remains uncertain, observers say the case could become a touchstone for how far networks will go to police content and how quickly sympathetic voices can mobilize to defend free expression. In the coming weeks, additional statements from studios, unions and politicians could shape how broadcasters handle similar moments in the future, particularly when the line between satire and indictment becomes blurred amid a highly polarized public square.