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Jimmy Kimmel is collaborating with ABC’s parent company Disney to reinstate his late-night show following its indefinite suspension over a monologue about Charlie Kirk, insiders report.
Three sources with knowledge of the conversations told Variety that compromises are in the works for Jimmy Kimmel Live! to return to television.
Sinclair, the media company owning several ABC affiliate stations, had previously demanded that the host apologize and contribute to Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA.
Another significant station owner, Nexstar, also declared it would remove the show from their stations after Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr indicated potential action against ABC.
‘We can do this the easy way or the hard way,’ Carr said during a podcast interview following backlash to Kimmel’s comments.
‘These companies can find ways to change conduct and take actions on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead’.
Disney then announced that the show would be suspended ‘indefinitely,’ sparking widespread backlash and debate over free speech concerns.
Individuals informed about the discussions told Variety it’s uncertain under what terms Kimmel might return, and whether he will apologize or make the donation Sinclair asked for.
Disney and ABC are in talks to bring back Jimmy Kimmel Live! after the show was suspended indefinitely
Disney and ABC were put under pressure by the FCC to suspend Kimmel’s show following his comments about Charlie Kirk
Kimmel slammed the ‘MAGA gang’ for trying to politicize Charlie Kirk’s assassination, which prompted backlash from the FCC and President Trump
The outlet also reported that insiders revealed Kimmel was ‘mindful’ of how the suspension could impact his staff, which includes around 200 people.
Sources told CNN that the crew would continue to be paid through next week, but their futures remain in limbo beyond that timeline.
Another source from Disney told the outlet that the company was ‘hopeful’ a resolution would be met to get Kimmel back on air.
Pressure from Nexstar and Sinclair has complicated Kimmel’s comeback, with a source telling CNN that Disney is facing a ‘real, serious, threat’ of losing broadcast licenses.
The source also revealed that Kimmel had prepared a monologue for Wednesday explosive night’s show, reportedly targeting Fox News and MAGA.
ABC and Disney executives reportedly urged him to soften his remarks amidst the backlash, and Kimmel is said to have refused, leading to the suspension.
‘Everyone deeply values him and wants him to come back. But he has to take down the temperature,’ the anonymous source revealed to CNN.
Kimmel has yet to publicly address the controversy.
Kimmel has yet to publicly address the controversy and it remains unclear what the fate of the show is
Daily Mail has reached out to Kimmel’s reprsentativess and Disney for comment on Variety’s reporting.
The controversy began on Monday night after Kimmel addressed Kirk’s assassination in his opening monologue and made comments about the suspected assassin, Tyler Robinson.
‘The MAGA gang are 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.
‘In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.’
He then cut to a video of Donald Trump talking to reporters, where he answered a question about how he was handling Kirk’s death.
When asked how he was holding up, Trump responded: ‘I think very good,’ before directing the reporter’s attention to construction on the White House ballroom.
‘He’s at the fourth stage of grief: construction,’ Kimmel joked.
‘This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish’.
Two days later, Carr threatened repercussions for Kimmel’s comments, and Sinclair and Nexstar pulled programming.
Commissioner of the FCC Brendan Carr slammed Kimmel’s comments and his show was subsequently suspended
The decision to pull Kimmel’s show has sparked mass protests and backlash over free speech concerns
ABC and Disney announced they would be suspending the show indefinitely, prompting swift backlash from Hollywood and free speech defenders.
Kimmel’s late-night colleagues were chief among those defending him, with Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers presenting a united front during their monologues after the news broke.
However, conservatives celebrated the suspension, with the president congratulating ABC on Truth Social for suspending Kimmel.
‘Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!’ he wrote.
