Topline:
Jimmy Kimmel will be back on air Tuesday. The late-night host will return to television after being suspended by ABC last week for comments he made after the assassination of right wing activist Charlie Kirk.
Why it matters: The move kicked off a firestorm of criticism accusing the network of shutting down political speech.
What happened? The Walt Disney Co., which owns ABC, issued a statement Monday saying, “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.”
Read on... for more about the decision.
Jimmy Kimmel will be back on air Tuesday after the Walt Disney Co. reversed his controversial suspension.
The late-night host was suspended by ABC last week for comments he made after the assassination of right wing activist Charlie Kirk. That move kicked off a firestorm of criticism, with many accusing the network of shutting down political speech.
The Walt Disney Co., which owns ABC, issued a statement Monday saying, “We made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. 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.”
It's a 180-degree turn from last week, when ABC said it pulled the long-running show "indefinitely" after facing threats from the head of the Federal Communications Commission.
The controversy started last Monday, when Kimmel talked about Kirk's killing in his opening monologue, poking fun at President Trump and commenting on the right's response to Kirk's killing.
"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," Kimmel said.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr then went on a podcast and suggested that Kimmel’s comments might warrant regulatory action against ABC.
The show's suspension led to national outcry, from fellow late-night hosts and politicians. It also made waves in Los Angeles, where entertainment unions expressed concern about free speech and jobs. Monday morning, some of those unions, local politicians, and supporters gathered in Hollywood to protest ABC's decision to pull Kimmel off the air. Hundreds of actors, musicians and film directors also signed a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union decrying the move.
"This is not just about Jimmy Kimmel," said Rep. Laura Friedman. "This is about a trend that we've seen of this administration threatening news sources and broadcasters that air speech that's critical of Donald Trump."
Kimmel tapes in a studio on Hollywood Boulevard, across the street from the Dolby Theater. His show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, has been running since 2003.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
