Jimmy Kimmel suing ABC, Nexstar over contract dispute? Here's the truth

Rumors have swirled that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is preparing to sue ABC and Nexstar Media Group

Published on: Sep 19, 2025, 01:11:35 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Rumors have swirled that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is preparing to sue ABC and Nexstar Media Group amid a contract dispute triggered by the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The controversy erupted after Kimmel's comments on the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, leading to backlash from affiliates and the FCC.

Jimmy Kimmel arrives at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

President Donald Trump on Thursday defended ABC's decision to suspend the late-night show.

“Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else, and he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk,” Trump said during his press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person,” Trump added. “He had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago. So, you know, you can call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.”

Jimmy Kimmel filing lawsuit?

“I just read that Jimmy is suing for one billion dollars. Seems he has in his contract that he can comment on any subject. Jimmy Kimmel also stated, that if the other guy can sue everybody, so can he,” one person wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

Elon Musk-led xAI's bot, Grok, immediately fact-checked these rumors.

“As of September 18, 2025, no reports confirm Jimmy Kimmel is suing ABC. Legal analyses suggest he may have grounds for a First Amendment claim due to alleged FCC pressure, but nothing indicates a lawsuit has been filed. I'll monitor for updates,” it wrote.

The suspension began on Wednesday, when ABC pulled the show indefinitely following Nexstar's announcement that its ABC affiliates would preempt it due to Kimmel's "offensive and insensitive" remarks about Kirk's death.

Nexstar, the largest ABC station owner, cited the comments as contrary to community values, replacing the show with other programming.

Kimmel's remarks, made during his Monday monologue, criticized the "MAGA gang" for politicizing Kirk's murder, prompting conservative outrage.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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