400 entertainers co-sign ACLU letter supporting Jimmy Kimmel

Over 400 actors, musicians and film directors have signed an open letter organized by the American Civil Liberties Union decrying "a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation" after ABC indefinitely suspended late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel last week under pressure from the Trump Administration.

The signatories include many A-list stars, including performers who have had years-long professional relationships with ABC and Disney, its parent company, including Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and current Marvel and Star Wars star Pedro Pascal. The signers also include Selena Gomez and Olivia Rodrigo, who both had early success as Disney actors.

Other signers include Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston, Robert DeNiro, Jason Bateman, Natalie Portman and Maya Rudolph.

In part, the letter reads: "Last week, Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air after the government threatened a private company with retaliation, marking a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation. 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 … Regardless of our political affiliation, or whether we engage in politics or not, we all love our country. We also share the belief that our voices should never be silenced by those in power – because if it happens to one of us, it happens to all of us."

In his opening monologue last Monday, Kimmel had criticized the conservative response to the assassination of conservative activist and close Trump ally Charlie Kirk. "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.

Last Wednesday, Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson: "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct to take action on Kimmel or, you know, there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead."

Within hours, ABC announced it would suspend Kimmel's show indefinitely. On the Fox News program Saturday in America, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "The decision to fire Jimmy Kimmel and to cancel his show came from executives at ABC." Kimmel has not been fired, nor has his show been canceled.

The executive director of the ACLU, Anthony D. Romero, told NPR in a written statement on Monday: "We now find ourselves in a modern McCarthy era, facing exactly the type of heavy-handed government censorship our Constitution rightfully forbids. The silencing of Jimmy Kimmel and jawboning of media outlets through lawsuits and threats to their licenses evoke dark memories of the 1950s. We must remember, however, that Senator McCarthy was ultimately disgraced and neutralized once Americans mobilized and stood up to him. We must do the same today because, together, our voices are louder and, together, we will fight to be heard."

Other entertainers have taken separate actions to make their feelings known – including some who also have ties to Disney properties.

On Monday morning, hosts of the popular ABC morning show The View also criticized the Trump administration and their own corporate bosses. Host Whoopi Goldberg said that her show had waited several days to see if Kimmel would make any sort of public statement. "The government cannot — cannot — apply pressure to force someone to be silenced," she said. Her co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin added, "The First Amendment is the first for a reason, because you need to be able to hold those in power accountable."

On Sunday evening, musician Sarah McLaughlin, one of the founders of the Lilith Fair music festival, and fellow artist Jewel declined to perform at the premiere of the Hulu documentary Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery. (Hulu is also owned by Disney.)

In comments made from the stage before the documentary's screening in Los Angeles, McLaughlin — who appears in the film — announced the decision to cancel the live performances. She said: "I've grappled with being here tonight and around what to say about the present situation that we are all faced with, the stark contraction to the many advances we've made watching the insidious erosion of women's rights, of trans and queer rights, the muzzling of free speech. I think we're all fearful for what comes next, and none of us know."

Another, currently circulating open letter signed by some 600 comedians including Jimmy Fallon, Chelsea Handler, Margaret Cho, David Cross and W. Kamau Bell reads in part: "Every culture needs humor. It's how we heal and how we connect with each other. Take it away, and what's left is fear, silence, and a bleak existence. When the government targets one of us, they target all of us. They strike at the heart of our shared humanity. They strip away the basic right every person deserves: to speak freely, question boldly, and laugh loudly… We will not be silenced."

Some prominent conservative lawmakers and commentators have also weighed in on the issue of free speech.

Last week, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, during an episode of his podcast dedicated to Kirk's murder and its aftermath, addressed Attorney General Pam Bondi and her declaration that the Department of Justice would "target" those who used "hate speech." Carlson said: "Consider what it means if you don't respect free speech, which is another way of saying free conscience. The right of other people to make up their own minds about the basic questions of what is right and wrong, and to express their views on those issues. If you don't acknowledge the right of other people to do that, and if you take steps to prevent them from doing that, what are you really saying? You're saying, 'I don't think you have a soul. I think you're a meat puppet I can control.'"

On Friday, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas criticized Carr and the FCC on his own podcast, calling the situation "dangerous as hell."

"I gotta say, that's right out of GoodFellas," Cruz said. "That's right out of a mafioso coming into a bar going, 'Nice bar you got here. It'd be a shame if something happened to it.'"
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