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When is Jimmy Kimmel Live! returning? Read Disney's full statement
Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to ABC on Tuesday. In a statement released Monday, the Walt Disney Company explained the decision to pause production.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to ABC on Tuesday, following a one-week suspension triggered by backlash to the host’s remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Walt Disney Company issues statement
In a statement released Monday, the Walt Disney Company explained the decision to pause production: "Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive."
The company added that it had held "thoughtful conversations" with Kimmel in the days since the incident: “We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
What sparked the suspension?
During his monologue last Monday, Kimmel criticized what he referred to as the “MAGA gang,” commenting, "We hit some new lows over the weekend with 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."
The backlash escalated quickly. By Wednesday, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr publicly weighed in, threatening regulatory action.
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead," Carr said on The Benny Show.
That same day, major local broadcasting groups Nexstar and Sinclair announced they would no longer air Jimmy Kimmel Live! on their ABC-affiliated stations.
Facing mounting pressure and the threat of losing wide distribution, ABC preempted the show across all its stations, including those owned by The E.W. Scripps Company, parent of Scripps News.
Amid growing backlash and the risk of widespread distribution loss, ABC pulled the show from its lineup across all affiliated stations, including those owned by The E.W. Scripps Company, the parent of Scripps News.
