Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night monologue on the death of Charlie Kirk triggered one of the biggest controversies in recent TV history. His comments linking Kirk’s killer to conservative circles set off a firestorm. Within days, major ABC affiliates pulled the show.
Soon after, Disney announced an indefinite suspension, and the fallout spread fast. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith weighed in, saying Kimmel had crossed a line and questioning the intent behind the remarks. On an episode of Straight Shooter with Stephen A., he said:
“Where was the joke? Because you’re a late-night host, and obviously that has a comedic attachment to it. Where was the joke? Obviously, it wasn’t anything funny about that.”
🚨NEW: Stephen A. Smith on his fellow Disney host Jimmy Kimmel getting yanked off air after Charlie Kirk monologue:
“Where was the joke? Because you’re a late-night host — and obviously that has a comedic attachment to it. Where was the joke? Obviously, it wasn’t anything funny… pic.twitter.com/tpRtiqwXwx
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) September 18, 2025
Other media analysts echoed the sentiment, pointing out the lack of humor in Kimmel’s delivery and the risk Disney faced by keeping him on air. The situation escalated when regulators became involved.
The FCC chair publicly pressured broadcasters to reconsider airing the show. Affiliate groups demanded apologies before agreeing to return it to their schedules. On the other side, fellow late-night hosts and celebrities came to Kimmel’s defense, calling the suspension a threat to free speech.
So, how did the NFL become a part of this mess?
Disney and ESPN recently struck a non-binding deal with the NFL. That agreement would hand ESPN control of NFL Network and other media arms while giving the league a 10% stake in ESPN. It is a landmark deal, but it still needs approval.
Now, every decision Disney makes about Kimmel is being weighed against that deal. Offending regulators or alienating affiliates could put the NFL partnership at risk. Keeping Kimmel could mean prolonged political battles.
At the moment, it seems like cutting him loose might stabilize the situation, but it will be a violation of free speech. What began as a late-night joke has grown into a corporate dilemma.
What Did Jimmy Kimmel Say On his Show?
Kimmel has been on-air with his late-night talk show, ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ since 2003. There are over 3500 episodes of the show, featuring some of the most renowned celebrities, hilarious skits, and other popular segments like ‘Mean Tweets’ and ‘This Week in Unnecessary Censorship’.
Now, a legacy built over two decades is hanging by a thread, and it’s all because of what Kimmel said on his show.
“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,” Kimmel said while discussing Kirk’s death and the conversations around it.
He also poked fun at President Trump for his comments when asked about how he was holding up following the death of Kirk. Trump said, “very good,” and quickly moved on to talk about the construction of a new ballroom for the White House.
“This is not how an adult grieves the murder of somebody called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”, Kimmel said in response to Trump’s comment.
Kimmel went on to show another clip of Trump talking about the under-construction ballroom in the White House.
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