Sal Iacono teases more bombshells as Kimmel fallout deepens

The fallout from Jimmy Kimmel Live! intensified Sunday as Sal Iacono, the show’s longtime writer and performer and Kimmel’s cousin, hinted that more bombshells are still to come after ABC suspended the program last week. Speaking on The Bill Simmons Podcast, the 54-year-old recalled that the staff’s jobs and the show’s future were unsettled and not fully discussed in public. He offered a restrained glimpse of what lies ahead, saying, “There are a couple bombshells still there. I’m feeling good. We’re going to be all right. Everything’s going to be just fine.” He also weighed in on how Kimmel might cope, joking that the host could pivot to a different pursuit, even suggesting he could become a pop-up chef in the South Bay area. “He’ll be fine, whatever he wants to do,” Iacono said, adding that he could not say more because “we know too much.”

Putting the discussion of the show’s future aside, Iacono’s remarks come as a series of events unfolded in the wake of Kimmel’s controversial opening monologue about the death of Charlie Kirk, a political commentator associated with the MAGA movement. In that monologue, Kimmel described the slain individual in a way that drew criticism across the political spectrum. The remarks were quickly cited by critics as incendiary and inappropriate, prompting a swift backlash from affiliates and conservative commentators alike. After hours of internal review, two days later, Carr threatened repercussions for Kimmel’s comments, and Sinclair and Nexstar pulled programming from their stations.

ABC and Disney subsequently announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be suspended indefinitely, prompting strong pushback from many Hollywood voices and some free-speech defenders. The suspension drew a chorus of support from Kimmel’s late-night peers, including Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers, who used their own showcases to defend him and reassure audiences that the controversy would be resolved. On the conservative side, remarks on Truth Social celebrated the move, with one post calling out Kimmel’s ratings as underwhelming and praising the suspension as a corrective measure. Still, major networks and industry figures emphasized the need to protect staff and maintain journalistic standards as the situation continued to unfold.

As the broader industry watches, there is no clear timeline for when or if Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return, and ABC and Disney have offered limited public statements on the team’s next steps. Inside the production circle, though, the focus remains on the people who rely on the show for their livelihoods and on the broader implications for late-night programming in a polarized media environment. Iacono’s comments added another layer to the evolving narrative, underscoring that the fallout involves not only a single broadcast decision but a network-wide reassessment of how late-night hosts balance political commentary with entertainment.

The controversy continues to reverberate across entertainment news, with Kimmel’s colleagues reinforcing that the relationships among the show’s staff are central to any forthcoming plans. While some observers question whether the host can resume his duties in the current climate, others speculate about potential collaborations or shifts in format should the program return. For now, the conversation remains dominated by questions about accountability, the sustainability of political humor on late-night television, and the future of a show that, by many measures, helped redefine contemporary U.S. cultural discourse.