The suspension and return of Jimmy Kimmel to late-night has been a major topic of conversation in the world of TV, and while the host has now been back for a while and his ratings have largely returned to normal, there are still a lot of people with a lot of questions. The entire situation was shocking to many, and that includes Jimmy Kimmel.
Speaking at the recent Bloomberg Screentime Conference, Kimmel was asked when he realized that his monologue, which referenced the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which got him suspended from the show, was going to be a problem for him. Kimmel admits he didn’t really realize at the time his comments would be an issue, because he frequently doesn’t know when things he says will be a problem. Kimmel explained…
I didn’t think there was a big problem. I just saw it as distortion on the part of some of the right-wing media networks, and I aimed to correct it. I have problems, like, all the time. And it’s kind of funny, because sometimes you think, ‘Oh, this is not a problem,’ and then it turns into be a big problem, and then sometimes it goes the other way, where you think, like, ‘Uh-oh, this is gonna be a problem,’ and nobody really notices.
In this case, a big part of the reason Jimmy Kimmel didn’t think there would be a problem is that he has continually argued that he did not say what was reported. His comments were about the reaction to Charlie Kirk’s death and reports of the assassin’s motives, though he was accused of making light of the assassination itself.
It’s likely Kimmel assumed that, despite what some media outlets were reporting, the powers that be would understand his comments were being distorted, and there would be no major issues. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened.
ABC affiliates started to make noise, and a couple of major affiliate groups decided not to air Jimmy Kimmel Live! due to the controversy. Shortly after that, Disney announced an indefinite suspension of Kimmel. The show was off the air for a week before it returned to some of the best ratings the show has ever seen.
The affiliate groups initially pre-empted Kimmel’s return, which made his high ratings even more impressive, though the show is back on there as well. It does appear this particular issue is now past him, though it will likely continue to be discussed as the late-night TV world is in clear upheaval at the moment.
Jimmy Kimmel refused to say whether he would leave Jimmy Kimmel Live! at the end of his current contract. And at the moment, his show is still airing new episodes on the 2025 TV schedule.