TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jimmy Kimmel will return to air on Tuesday, September 23, 2025 in the United States after his show was briefly suspended, a decision that sparked nationwide debate. Many deemed the suspension a tactic by Donald Trump to restrict free speech.
“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," said ABC's parent company, The Walt Disney Co., in a statement on Monday, September 22, 2025 as quoted from The Hollywood Reporter.
"It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. 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," the statement wrote.
The insensitive comment referred to was Jimmy Kimmel's remark on the September 15, 2025 edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live! addressing the shooting of right-wing pro-Trump influencer Charlie Kirk. At that time, Kimmel made a vaguely worded comment on-air that the shooter of Charlie Kirk, Tyler Robinson, was a MAGA Republican.
Kimmel's statement responded to widespread social media perception that liberal Americans despised Charlie Kirk and saw his killer as part of the liberal cause.
"The MAGA Gang (is) 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," said Kimmel, quoted as saying from CNN.
Charlie Kirk. Shutterstock
Not only did Kimmel make remarks, but he also aired a video clip showing President Donald Trump responding to questions from reporters after the shooting, including expressing condolences for the death of the president's "friend," Kirk. When asked how he was holding up, Trump replied, "I think very good, and by the way, right there where you see all the trucks, they just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House," quoted from People.
In response, Kimmel made a grim joke about Trump's brazen attitude in the face of Kirk's death. "Yes, he’s at the fourth stage of grief, construction," the comedian said. "This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish, okay?" he said.
Sinclair Still Unwilling to Air Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Sinclair, one of the largest local TV station owners in the United States, stated that its ABC affiliate would halt the show's airing "from Tuesday night." Sinclair said it would broadcast news programs during that time slot.
"Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show's potential return," said a spokesperson for Sinclair, as reported by CNN. Conservative owners of Sinclair condemned Kimmel last week and contributed to the decision of ABC's parent company, Disney, to temporarily halt the show's broadcast.
Celebrities Decry the Suspension: Threat to Free Speech
The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel's show immediately drew protests from about 400 Hollywood stars and world celebrities, including Oscar-winning actors and A-list pop stars such as Selena Gomez, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, and Tom Hanks. They expressed support for Kimmel through a public letter from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
As quoted from USA Today, these celebrities viewed the suspension as a threat to free speech. "We, the people, must never accept government threats to our freedom of speech. Efforts by leaders to pressure artists, journalists, and companies with retaliation for their speech strike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country," the ACLU statement read.
According to the ACLU, the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel's broadcast arose after the government threatened a private company and marked a dark moment for freedom of speech in the United States.
"In an attempt to silence its critics, our government has resorted to threatening the livelihoods of journalists, talk show hosts, artists, creatives, and entertainers across the board. This runs counter to the values our nation was built upon, and our Constitution guarantees," the statement added.
Bagus Pribadi contributed to the writing of this article.
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