ABC’s late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! is set to return on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, ending a week-long suspension that followed Jimmy Kimmel’s controversial remarks about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The suspension came after Kimmel used part of his, Monday, September 15, 2025, monologue to criticise attempts by political figures to frame the suspect in Kirk’s killing for partisan gain.
Jimmy Kimmel comments drew sharp backlash, including criticism from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair and pushback from major affiliate station groups like Nexstar and Sinclair, which temporarily pulled the program from their lineups.
ABC, owned by Disney, explained that the pause was meant to prevent “further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for the country.”
The network acknowledged that some of Kimmel’s words were “ill-timed and thus insensitive.”
In the days that followed, Disney executives and Kimmel reportedly held extensive discussions about the incident.
Those talks paved the way for his reinstatement, with ABC confirming that the show will resume airing on Tuesday night, September 23, 2025.
The controversy has sparked debate about free speech, political sensitivity, and the role of broadcasters in balancing commentary with public reaction.
Hollywood figures, unions, and civil liberties groups rallied in support of Kimmel, while Sinclair continued to push for conditions such as a formal apology and a donation to Kirk’s family before restoring the program on its stations.
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