McLachlan and Jewel Cancel Disney Premiere Performances to Back Free Speech Amid Kimmel Suspension

In Los Angeles Sunday night, Sarah McLachlan and Jewel canceled their planned appearances at the premiere of ABC News’ Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery to protest Disney’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the musicians announced from the screening stage. McLachlan, who introduced the film, told attendees that the artists were choosing solidarity over performance in support of free speech.

"I know you’re expecting a performance tonight, and I’m so grateful to all of you for coming, and I apologize if this is disappointing, but we have collectively decided not to perform but instead to stand in solidarity in support of free speech," McLachlan said to applause. The Lilith Fair co-founder also described grappling with the current climate, noting an "insidious erosion of women’s rights, of trans and queer rights, the muzzling of free speech." She added that music can be a bridge to shared humanity and urged artists and audiences to keep fighting for positive change with kindness.

Before the screening, ABC News Studios canceled the red carpet, with McLachlan, Jewel, Mýa and director Ally Pankiw slated to walk. The move underscored the broader controversy surrounding Disney after Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air by ABC last week for comments about Charlie Kirk’s assassination; the network later announced that "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" would be pulled indefinitely following the backlash. Kimmel, in his monologue the previous week, had criticized those shaping the narrative around the incident, saying, "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it." Those remarks helped ignite calls for accountability from critics and allies alike.

The suspension spurred broad industry responses. Fellow late-night hosts including Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, David Letterman and Conan O’Brien defended Kimmel and condemned Disney’s decision as a threat to free expression. In parallel, more than 400 Hollywood stars signed an open letter with the American Civil Liberties Union calling on Americans to stand up for constitutional rights, naming figures such as Jennifer Aniston, Ariana Grande, Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Pedro Pascal, Robert De Niro, Natalie Portman and Jean Smart among the signatories.

The Lilith Fair documentary, which centers on the festival’s cultural impact and artists who embraced its ethos, served as a backdrop for a broader debate about speech, power, and how entertainment studios handle political speech and social issues. McLachlan urged the audience to let the film inspire action in communities, saying that Lilith taught her the strength that comes from lifting each other up and that creativity can foster empathy and shared humanity.

As the evening moved forward without the performances originally planned, industry watchers noted the dilemma for artists who balance advocacy with public appearances tied to corporate-backed projects. The incident also highlighted tensions between networks’ business interests and creators’ commitments to social issues, a pressure point that many in the Culture & Entertainment landscape will continue to monitor in the weeks ahead.