Walt Disney Co.’s ABC network has suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely following mounting backlash over the late-night host’s comments regarding the killing of Republican activist Charlie Kirk.
The suspension, announced Wednesday, comes just hours after Nexstar Media Group Inc.—which owns dozens of ABC affiliates—said it would no longer air the program, citing remarks it described as “offensive and insensitive.”
Disney’s decision highlights the increasingly fraught political environment facing major media companies, particularly as pressure from the Trump administration and its allies intensifies. Just last year, Disney agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by former President Donald Trump over comments made by host George Stephanopoulos. Earlier this week, Trump filed a $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times, alleging bias against him.
Kimmel, a longtime critic of Trump, drew controversy with his Sept. 15 monologue in which he accused Republicans of politicizing Kirk’s death. “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” Kimmel said.
The remarks prompted condemnation from conservative commentators and officials. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr told podcast host Benny Johnson that the agency could pursue penalties against Kimmel, ABC, and Disney, noting that broadcast licenses come with obligations to “operate in the public interest.”
“This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney,” Carr said.
According to people familiar with the matter, Kimmel had planned to address the backlash on Wednesday’s broadcast and even rehearsed a response earlier in the day. But Nexstar’s warning to Disney—complicated by its pending $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna Inc., which requires FCC approval—led the network to pull the plug before the show aired.
Meanwhile, Sinclair Inc., the nation’s largest owner of ABC affiliates, announced it would also withhold Kimmel’s program “pending discussions with the network about its commitment to professionalism and accountability.” The company requested Kimmel issue a public apology to Kirk’s family and make a donation to his political organization. In place of Kimmel’s broadcast, Sinclair plans to air a special tribute to Kirk on Friday.
The suspension leaves ABC without one of its flagship late-night voices at a politically charged moment, underscoring the delicate balance networks must strike between star personalities and corporate, regulatory, and political pressures.
