Kimmel staffer says return unlikely as MAGA clash, Disney concerns surround suspension

A staffer for Jimmy Kimmel Live. told Fox News that they cannot imagine a scenario in which the late-night program returns, as Disney weighs options amid political backlash and internal concerns. The show was pulled from the air on Wednesday after comments by Kimmel about Charlie Kirk's shooter, and demonstrators gathered outside the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, where the program is filmed.

The interview, published in Rick Ellis's Too Much TV newsletter, features a staffer who describes a sense of inevitability around the suspension and charts a path through the public and corporate fallout. "I want to think it will. But I can't imagine a scenario in which that happens. Even if Jimmy was willing to publicly apologize and donate money to whatever ghoulish conservative group that is demanding it... MAGA people will never be happy. It will never be enough," the staffer said.

The staffer went on to describe the broader dynamic facing the show and its parent company. "And Disney will look at the situation and decide it's cheaper to buy out the rest of his contract and replace the show with reruns of Modern Family and Judge Judy. Somehow, they'll convince themselves the worst is behind them. Until a day or two pass and they find themselves having to defend Whoopi and the other women of The View. And no one wants to be in that position," they continued.

Protests outside the El Capitan Theatre, where the show was filmed, were part of a broader public reaction to the suspension and illustrated the tension between political speech and corporate risk in the current media environment. The staffer noted that the decision was not entirely shocking given the ongoing MAGA criticism of the program, but said the timing still surprised him.

"I had zero faith that any of the network execs had the slightest bit of stones to stand up for their employees. I mean, yeah, I was surprised it happened that specific day. But you could see it coming. Every time some MAGA a--hat would spout off about the show, the knot in my stomach just got tighter," the staffer said.

Kimmel himself weighed in on Monday, saying, "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang 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." The staffer was asked whether critics had a point; they answered in the negative.

"I don't think they had a point. The Trump folks are like that crooked cop who wants to pull over a driver and waits until they make some slight mistake. That's our show. We were always a running stop away from unemployment," the staffer told Ellis.

The staffer added that the atmosphere around Kimmel's show had "sucked," and that Kimmel had drawn threats and attention from Trump supporters in recent years. He described the workplace climate as increasingly fraught even before the suspension.

The staffer also criticized Disney for perceived shifts in corporate priorities. "Because it was becoming increasingly clear in recent weeks that Sir Iger and the ABC executives would cut us loose in a second if they thought something we did might hurt attendance at Disney World or cost anyone their annual bonus," the staffer said.

Disney did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Hanna Panreck is an associate editor at Fox News.