ABC is facing widespread criticism and pressure from various groups following the decision to remove Jimmy Kimmel's show, sparking a debate on free speech and cancel culture. Celebrities threaten to sever ties with the company, while political figures from both sides weigh in on the situation. The controversy stems from Kimmel's comments regarding the killing of Charlie Kirk.
The company faced protests outside its studios, celebrities threatening to break ties and political pressure from Republicans and Democrats. ABC ’s decision has further amplified a free speech debate that began in the immediate aftermath of Kirk’s assassination, with some onwere engaging in the “ cancel culture ” they once said they loathed, while others on the right sought to dub Kimmel’s removal ason Thursday that he would not work with the company if Kimmel’s suspension was not lifted.
The company faced protests outside its studios, celebrities threatening to break ties and political pressure from Republicans and Democrats.. ABC’s decision has further amplified a free speech debate that began in the immediate aftermath of Kirk’s assassination, with some onwere engaging in the “cancel culture” they once said they loathed, while others on the right sought to dub Kimmel’s removal ason Thursday that he would not work with the company if Kimmel’s suspension was not lifted. The Emmy-winning showrunner has a longstanding relationship with the studio, having worked with them on “Lost” for six seasons from 2004 to 2010. Tatiana Maslany, who starred in Marvel’s “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” which aired its first and only season on Disney+ in 2022, posted a call to her followers on Instagram to “cancel your @disneyplus @hulu @espn subscriptions!”posted to Truth Social a clip of Kimmel at the Academy Awards reading out a real-time critique from Trump on his hosting, adding: “He made a total FOOL of himself, his wife and agent begging him not to do it, while also proving to be one of the Worst Hosts in the History of the Academy Awards." Some other well-followed media personalities saw Disney’s move as a reasonable response to what Kimmel said. Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports who hasVice President JD Vance on Friday afternoon offered a fresh barb at Kimmel and downplayed free speech concerns.The news that Kimmel’s show would be removed from the airwaves came on Wednesday evening, two days after the late-night host criticized some for how they responded to Kirk’s killing. Text messages from suspect Tyler Robinson,“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,” Kimmel said during the Monday broadcast.Nexstar Media Group Inc. — which has more than 200 stations in the United States and is waiting on FCC approval for a $6.2 billion acquisition of smaller, rival TV company Tegna —On Friday, Michael Eisner, the ex-CEO of Disney, appeared to criticize his former company. “Where has all the leadership gone? If not for university presidents, law firm managing partners, and corporate chief executives standing up against bullies, who then will step up for the first amendment?,” Eisner wrote on X, calling Carr’s actions “yet another example of out-of-control intimidation.”that the decision stemmed from local stations making “programming decisions” that are “responsive to the local communities they serve” — something he claims Kimmel’s show was not doing. “Broadcasters have long retained the right to not air national programs that they believe are inconsistent with the public interest, including their local communities’ values,” Carrthat what Kimmel said was wrong but also that what Carr was doing was “unbelievably dangerous,” most notably threatening the broadcast licenses of ABC affiliates (which “I like Brendan Carr. He’s a good guy. He’s the chairman of the FCC. I work closely with him, but what he said there is dangerous as hell,” Cruz added. Congress members responded sharply after ABC suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following host Jimmy Kimmel’s comments on Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Some right-leaning voices in the comedy community have broken partisan lines to criticize what they say is an attack on free speech.Tim Dillon said Kimmel should still be on the air in an Instagram post and called his suspension “a politically motivated hit job.”Many of Kimmel’s late-night peers have also come to his defense, with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert — whose show was In recent years, Disney has found itself dragged into a number of politically-charged battles — and lawsuits. In 2024, the company settledafter she claimed she was wrongfully terminated from“The Mandalorian” TV series for expressing right-wing views on social media. In some of her posts, made in previous years, Carano had likened modern political divides to the Holocaust and mocked people who wore masks during the pandemic. In a statement after the settlement was reached, Lucasfilm said, “With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms. Carano in the near future.”the company’s movies had been too focused on “messaging” when instead they should be focused on entertaining, in an effort to improve the quality of Disney’s movies. The following year, Iger said his primary mission for the company was to entertain versus focusing on the “woke agenda.” “I like being able to entertain if you can infuse it with positive messages and have a good impact on the world. Fantastic. But that should not be the objective. When I came back, what I have really tried to do is to return to our roots,” he said. In addition to Lindelof’’s and Maslany’s calls to push back on Disney and its products, some more Disney boycott calls have percolated online in the last couple days, though it’s not clear how widespread it has been or if it will have a lasting effect on the company.As the message gained traction over the last day across social media sites, Google Trends showed an uptick of searches for the terms “cancel Disney Plus” and “boycott Disney,” as posters declared they were leaving the streaming platforms behind. Bill Simmons, a popular podcast host and friend of Kimmel’s who also used to work on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” saidthat he thought there was a good chance the show would get canceled, but that pushback against Kimmel’s suspension had caused him to reconsider. “What changed over the last 24 plus hours is there was such a groundswell,” Simmons said. “This just felt like this became the moment. If we stand by and let something like this happen, what’s next? Where do we go?”Disney's ABC pulled "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" off the air following the hosts comments on Charlie Kirk's death. Robert Kovacik reports for the NBC4 News at 7 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2025.
Jimmy Kimmel ABC Free Speech Cancel Culture Political Controversy
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Canadian Networks Could Save Kimmel & Late Night TVJimmy Kimmel hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC
Read more »
Jimmy Kimmel Seen for 1st Time After ABC Suspends Jimmy Kimmel LiveJimmy Kimmel was seen in Los Angeles after ABC indefinitely suspended 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' following his remarks about Charlie Kirk's death
Read more »
Late Night Rallies Behind Jimmy Kimmel: “Tonight, We Are All Jimmy Kimmel”In the wake of Kimmel's indefinite suspension from ABC, late night hosts like Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, and Seth Meyers took to their programs to show support for Kimmel and lament the latest attack on free speech.
Read more »
'We are all Jimmy Kimmel': What late night hosts are saying about Kimmel's suspensionThe late night hosts warned about the future of free speech on their shows Thursday.
Read more »
'We are all Jimmy Kimmel': What late night hosts are saying about Kimmel's suspensionThe late night hosts warned about the future of free speech on their shows Thursday.
Read more »
Disney Is Scrambling After The Backlash To Jimmy Kimmel's CancellationJimmy Kimmel hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC
Read more »