‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Is Indefinitely Pulled from ABC After His Charlie Kirk Comments



NEED TO KNOW

  • Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been indefinitely pulled, an ABC spokesperson tells PEOPLE
  • The decision comes after he made comments about the death of Charlie Kirk
  • Kirk was fatally shot on Wednesday, Sept. 10

Jimmy Kimmel‘s late-night show has been indefinitely pulled.

On Wednesday, Sept. 17, it was announced that Disney’s ABC would be pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely, an ABC spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE.

Variety reports the removal is due to his recent remarks about Charlie Kirk.

PEOPLE reached out to representatives for Kimmel.

Charlie Kirk.

Roger Askew/Shutterstock 


The news comes amid Kimmel’s ongoing feud with President Donald Trump, who predicted that the longtime ABC host would be the next late-night casualty after CBS canceled The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in July 2025.

Prior to Trump warning of a late-night exodus, Kimmel himself had repeatedly hinting at ending his show. He told the Los Angeles Times in February 2024 that the three-year contract he signed in 2022 would probably be his last, joking, “I hate to even say it, because everyone’s laughing at me now — each time I think that, and then it turns out to be not the case.”

“I still have a little more than two years left on my contract, and that seems pretty good,” he added at the time. “That seems like enough.”

Jimmy Kimmel on the ‘Live!’ set in July 2025.

Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty


Kimmel, who has hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003, has frequently found himself in the president’s crosshairs, whether for monologue jokes or jabs he took at Trump while hosting the Oscars.

Following The Late Show‘s cancellation, the president took to his Truth Social account, claiming, “The word is, and it’s a strong word at that, Jimmy Kimmel is NEXT to go in the untalented Late Night Sweepstakes and, shortly thereafter, [Jimmy] Fallon will be gone.”

“These are people with absolutely NO TALENT, who were paid Millions of Dollars for, in all cases, destroying what used to be GREAT Television,” Trump wrote. “It’s really good to see them go, and I hope I played a major part in it!”

Kimmel expressed frustration of his own toward the president while on summer vacation with his family, sharing a photo of his family at an anti-Trump protest on July 17 with a pointed message.

“May every day be another wonderful secret,” Kimmel’s Instagram caption read, referencing a line from a cryptic letter that Trump allegedly wrote to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

In the photo, he and his wife, Live! co-head writer Molly McNearney, are pictured in anti-Trump shirts with their children, Jane and Billy. Each member of the family is holding a sign, with phrases including, “Don’t bend the knee,” “Make America Good Again,” and “I wish we had a better president!”

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When Kimmel learned of The Late Show‘s cancellation — which came three days after Colbert tore into his parent company, Paramount, for offering up $16 million to settle a lawsuit with the president — the ABC host took to Instagram Stories to stand up for his friend and late-night rival.

Reposting a clip from Colbert’s announcement, Kimmel wrote, “Love you Stephen.”

He then called out the network behind the decision, adding, “F— you and all your Sheldons, CBS,” seemingly referring to the network’s Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon series.

Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel during the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards.

FOX Image Collection via Getty


Back in 2022, Kimmel admitted that he’d previously considered quitting his late-night show if he wasn’t allowed to make fun of Trump.

“There was one time, right around the beginning of this whole Trump thing… maybe not quite [eight years ago],” Kimmel said on Stitcher’s Naked Lunch podcast. “I said, listen, I get it, you’re right. I have lost half of my fanbase, maybe more. Ten years ago, among Republicans, I was the most popular talk show. At least, according to the research they did.”

“I get it if [blocking Trump jokes is] what they want to do,” Kimmel continued. “I said, ‘If that’s what you want to do, I don’t begrudge you for it, but I’m not going to do that. If you want someone else to host the show, that’s fine with me. I’m just not going to do it like that.’ ”

Credit to Nypost AND Peoples

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