Jimmy Kimmel Live! to Return Tuesday after Disney Lifts Suspension

Disney and ABC said Jimmy Kimmel Live will return to the air on Tuesday, Sept. 23, after a weeklong suspension tied to remarks about Charlie Kirk's death. In a statement, The Walt Disney Company said the decision to resume followed days of thoughtful conversations with Kimmel and that some comments on the air were ill-timed and insensitive given the national moment.

Kimmel's suspension was announced last Wednesday after he discussed Kirk's suspected assassin, Tyler Robinson, during his monologue and criticized political figures for how they framed the tragedy. Kirk was shot dead on Sept. 10, and the remarks drew scrutiny from regulators and advertisers. The show had already been pre-empted by ABC affiliates in some markets while discussions between ABC/Disney and the host continued. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr publicly warned that action could follow if conduct continued, and Nexstar Media said it would pull Kimmel's program in the immediate aftermath. President Trump used Truth Social to celebrate the suspension, calling it a win for his side amid a broader debate about free speech and accountability on late-night television.

Cultural and entertainment observers noted that the episode highlighted the pressure on networks to police satirical commentary during emotionally charged moments while balancing free-speech concerns with audience sensibilities. In the weeks that followed, Disney and ABC reiterated that the suspension was a management decision aimed at cooling down a tense moment in the national conversation and avoiding further inflaming the situation.

Disney said that after conversations with Kimmel, the company concluded the show should return to the schedule the following Tuesday. The network indicated that production would proceed with new episodes as part of its late-night lineup, with Kimmel back on the air at 11:35 p.m. Eastern time. The announcement arrived amid a wave of public commentary, including an open letter from 400 celebrities organized by the American Civil Liberties Union condemning the suspension as a broader threat to satire and free expression.

Sources close to the matter described Kimmel as angry about the incident and resistant to the idea of continuing the suspension, with some suggesting he may seek to alter his contract. The public discourse around the case included reactions from colleagues in late-night television who defended Kimmel's right to comment while acknowledging the sensitivity of the moment.

As the show resumes, the industry will be watching for how Kimmel navigates a landscape where political satire intersects with national tragedy and regulatory oversight. ABC and Disney have framed the move as a return to normal programming, while still acknowledging the responsibility that comes with hosting a platform that reaches millions of viewers. The late-night crowd has a history of rapid feedback from audiences and advertisers, and Tuesday marks the latest chapter in a high-profile debate over where humor ends and insensitivity begins in the current climate.