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‘It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,’ he said, fighting back tears. ‘I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.’

He referenced his post to Instagram sending love to Kirk’s family and said he still does.

Kimmel then tried to explain what he said about the TPUSA founder but did not directly apologize.

He said it was not ‘my intention to blame any specific group for the actions what – it was obviously a deeply disturbed individual,’ he said.

‘That was really in the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but I understand that to some that felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both. And for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset. If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I’d have felt the same way.’

Jimmy Kimmel finished off his first show returning to the airwaves with a last reference to the controversy that embroiled him this week.

After thanking his guests, Kimmel cracked: ‘I think we’ll be back tomorrow night, see you then.’

Sarah McLachlan performed a song on Kimmel’s stage but did not speak, nor did she reference her protest in solidarity with Kimmel this past weekend.

Kimmel’s first guest upon his comeback said he was ‘honored’ and ‘glad you’re back’ when he joined the host onstage.

Glen Powell referenced that he used to be allowed to come down to the studio where the show is shot and was allowed to take snacks.

Kimmel jokingly asked: ‘So could I get you to say that, in a way, I saved you’re life?’

Jimmy Kimmel took on Donald Trump directly by branding him a humorless enemy of free speech during his monologue.

‘The president of the United States made it very clear he wants to see me and the hundreds of people who work here fired from our jobs. Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke,’ Kimmel said.

‘He was able to squeeze Colbert out of CBS, then he turned his sights on me, and now he’s openly rooting for NBC to fire Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers and the hundreds of Americans who work for their shows who don’t make millions of dollars,’ he added.

‘And I hope that if that happens, or if there’s even any hint of that happening, you will be 10 times as loud as you were this week.’

A-list actor and Trump nemesis Robert De Niro joined Jimmy Kimmel to take a jab at FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.

‘It’s just me, the chairman of the FCC, gently suggesting that you shut the f*** up,’ De Niro told Kimmel.

The longtime mafia movie star made several references to mob violence and suggested Kimmel’s ‘free speech’ might cost him his limbs.

The sketch ended with De Niro taking a fake phone call from the president, whom he addressed: ‘Hi, handsome!’

Jimmy Kimmel ended his monologue with praise Erika Kirk for forgiving shooter Tyler Robinson at her husband Charlie’s funeral on Sunday.

‘She forgave him. That is an example we should follow,’ he said to applause.

‘If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do, that’s it. A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply, I hope it touches many,’ he said, amid more tears.

‘And if there’s anything we can take from this tragedy to carry forward, it can be that and not this,’ he added, referencing the controversy.

Jimmy Kimmel played a lengthy clip of Donald Trump saying he doesn’t have talent or ratings.

‘Well, I do tonight,’ Kimmel said of his ratings.

Kimmel then joked that Donald Trump ‘might have to release the Epstein files to distract from this. This backfired bigly!’

Kimmel accused the FCC of being ‘not legal, not American, that is un-American’ for targeting him.

He then asked: ‘Should the government be allowed to regulate which podcasts you download?’

He then said of Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC… ‘in addition to being a direct violation of the first amendment, is not a particularly intelligent threat.’

‘Brendan Carr is the most embarrassing car Republicans have embraced since this one,’ Kimmel cracked, before showing a photo of a Trump-branded Tesla.

The ABC host singled out everyone from Candace Owens to Clay Travis to Ted Cruz for defending his right to free speech.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever said this before, but Ted Cruz is right. If he can’t speak freely, he can’t cast on the Smurfs!’

He added that everyone ‘deserved credit’ for saying the government ‘cannot be allowed to control what you can and cannot say on television.’

Jimmy Kimmel thanked late night hosts from around the world to touch base with him, including one in Germany who offered him a job.

‘Can you imagine this country has become so authoritarian, the Germans are like, come here?’

He thanked the likes of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to David Letterman and Jay Leno, a longtime rival of Kimmel.

Jimmy Kimmel returned to the stage on Tuesday night to a lengthy standing ovation and applause before joking: ‘Anyway, as I was saying before I was interrupted.’

‘I’m happy to be here with you,’ he added, to yet more applause.

‘I’m not sure who had a weirder 48 hours, me or the CEO of Tylenol, it’s been overwhelming.’

He joked that he had heard from ‘all the people in the world’ including ‘weird characters from my past’ had reached out.

A soundbite of Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue was teased by ABC just 45 minutes ahead of the episode’s air time.

Kimmel, who was welcomed with a standing ovation during taping according to audience members, said he was ‘happy to be here tonight’ in the tease.

‘If you’re just joining us, we are preemting your regularly scheduled encore episode of “Celebrity Family Feud” to bring you this special report,’ he said in the soundbite.

As the audience began to disperse from the taping, members revealed Kimmel’s episode felt ‘unifying’ but said Kimmel didn’t apologize for his controversial comments on Charlie Kirk.

One audience member claimed Kimmel was ‘standing up for freedom of speech.’

The taping was said to be very ’emotional,’ with Kimmel said to have become teary-eyed during the episode set to air later tonight.

President Donald Trump blasted ABC for Jimmy Kimmel’s return to the late night show on Tuesday evening.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump slammed the network for bringing ‘someone back who does so poorly, who’s not funny and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE.’

‘I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back,’ Trump wrote.

‘The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled! Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his “talent” was never there.’

The post furthered that Kimmel serves as ‘another arm of the DNC’ which would be ‘a major illegal Campaign Contribution.’

‘I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings,’ the president concluded.

The post from Trump comes just one hour ahead of when Kimmel’s episode is set to air for at-home viewers at 11.35pm ET.

A Jimmy Kimmel Live! employee revealed the cast and crew of the show had a ‘very emotional’ day as Kimmel returned Tuesday evening.

The staffer told People that Kimmel was given a ‘much deserved standing ovation’ during a rehearsal of Kimmel’s late night comeback taping.

According to the source, the crew of the show were ‘very happy’ and ‘relieved’ that Kimmel had returned.

They added that everyone was ‘excited for tonight’s show,’ and revealed Kimmel’s monologue took ‘all day’ to finalize.

Security at Jimmy Kimmel’s taping reportedly threw out a man who allegedly threw a brick through a window last week.

The unidentified man was seen hanging around the studio as security was witnessed kicking him out during the taping of Kimmel’s comeback episode on Tuesday night.

Security efforts intensified as staffers were seen coming in and out of the studio during taping of the highly anticipated episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The recording of the highly-anticipated episode of Jimmy Kimmel’s return to the late night has begun as the audience was ushered into the studio.

Just before 6pm Pacific Time, Kimmel had yet to take the stage as an opening comedian addressed the audience, NBC News reported.

Crowds were seen being ushered into the studio in anticipation ahead of the taping.

Kimmel was reported to have taken the stage and is now in the theater.

Viewers will be able to watch Kimmel’s episode tonight at 11.35pm Eastern Time as it airs.

More than 400 celebrities, including former Disney stars, signed a letter supporting Jimmy Kimmel after Disney suspended his late night show.

The letter, released by the American Civil Liberties Union yesterday, declared Kimmel’s cancellation a ‘dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.’

‘We the people must never accept government threats to our freedom of speech,’ the letter said.

Kimmel’s suspension was further described as ‘unconstitutional and un-American,’ ACLU said.

‘The ACLU has partnered with hundreds of creatives, artists, and journalists to send a message that government officials can never silence us,’ the union said.

‘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,’ the letter continued.

‘This is the moment to defend free speech across our nation. We encourage all Americans to join us, along with the ACLU, in the fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights.’

The letter was supported by nearly 500 signatures, including celebrities such as Alan Cumming, Ariana Grande, Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, Cyndi Lauper, Cynthia Nixon, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, John Mulaney, Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Misha Collins, Pedro Pascal, Robert DeNiro, Ryan Reynolds, Tom Hanks and Zayn Malik.

Former Disney Channel stars Selena Gomez, Olivia Rodrigo, and Maia Mitchell were also named on the list of celebrities supporting Kimmel.

Hours after the letter was published, Kimmel’s return was announced by ABC.

Glen Powell was seen making his way toward the Jimmy Kimmel Live! studio for the late night show’s return.

Powell, 36, is set to be Kimmel’s primary sit-down guest on the highly-anticipated episode on Tuesday night.

The actor, pictured holding his dog Brisket, is currently promoting his own Disney series, Chad Powers.

Premiering on Hulu on September 30, Powell is set to star in the sports-comedy series that he co-created with Michael Waldron.

A small group of anti-Trump protesters gathered outside of the recording studio for Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show hours before its return.

Protesters were seen holding signs and chanting at those passing by showing their support for Kimmel and their disapproval for the Trump administration.

A banner was seen strung before the theater and read, ‘Trump Must Go Now!’

The group was heard chanting, ‘Trump must go. Jimmy Kimmel stays,’ NBC News reported.

A protester, identified as Lolo, told the outlet that she had taken part in protests against Disney over the weekend and, while not necessarily a fan of Kimmel, said she would protest against the silencing of anybody.

‘I think it is imperative that all of us find a way to resist autocracy,’ she told the outlet.

‘And so for me, because I have time and inclination and some knowledge about the players, I want to be out here.’

A man accused of shooting at an ABC affiliate station in Sacramento last week may have been motivated by Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, authorities said.

Anibal Hernandez Santana, 64, is believed to have had ‘a political motive behind’ the shooting on Friday as Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho said there is ‘circumstantial evidence.’

‘So there are some indications here that the motive behind the shooting of the ABC news station was political in kind,’ Thien said, NBC News reported.

‘We’re still looking at investigating the case, but he chose a very particular target, and with the notes that he left behind and the target in place and the recent dismissal of the Jimmy Kimmel show, I think there’s circumstantial evidence there to show that this was [a] politically motivated crime by this individual.’

Hernandez Santana’s attorney, Mark Reichel, said: ‘He is innocent unless and until he is found otherwise.’

Hernandez Santana, a former lobbyist, was accused of firing into the building that houses KXTV, ABC’s Sacramento affiliate.

No one was injured during the shooting.

During a search of the suspected shooter’s car, writings were found detailing displeasure with President Donald trump and other federal officials, according to a federal complaint obtained by the outlet.

A handwritten note was found and said: ‘For hiding Epstein & ignoring red flags. Do not support Patel, Bongino, & AG Pam Bondie. They’re next.’

Included in the writings were Jeffrey Epstein, FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy Director Dan Bongino and Attorney General Pam Bondi, NBC reported.

Guillermo Rodriguez was spotted just one day after Jimmy Kimmel’s return was announced by Disney.

Rodriguez – a comedian who worked on the show with Kimmel since 2003 – was spotted walking around Los Angeles the day after Disney announced Kimmel would return back on air on Tuesday.

With a stern face and a brown ‘Bronco’ t-shirt, Rodriguez was seen strolling outside the theatre where Jimmy Kimmel Live! was recorded for broadcast.

He was spotted outside of the theatre the day after Disney announced Kimmel’s return following the longtime late night host’s controversial comments surrounding the assassination of right-wing podcaster Charlie Kirk.

Rodriguez took part in skits on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and became the comedian’s sidekick on the talk show.

Kimmel’s cancellation came after he insinuated Kirk’s alleged killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was a conservative.

The late night host was reportedly set to address the comments on his show, before he received the news he had been axed, Deadline reported.

Disney celebrities such as Tatiana Maslany, lead actress of the Disney+ show She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, urged fans to cancel their subscriptions to Disney, Hulu and ESPN – all owned by Disney.

Marisa Tomei, who plays Peter Parker’s Aunt May in the Spider-Man films, reposted an image calling for the boycott of Disney platforms and subsidiaries on Instagram, Newsweek reported.

Actor Jake Ferree was one of many demonstrating outside of Walt Disney Studios protesting Kimmel’s cancellation.

Ferree told CNN: ‘This affects every aspect of free speech. We should be able to express ourselves. That’s the point of art.’

Celebrities outside of the Disney-realm also got involved on social media, joining others on the boycott and urging fans to do the same.

Supernatural star Misha Collins wrote on X: ‘I’m cancelling my @DisneyPlus subscription “indefinitely.”‘

Sex and the City actress Cynthia Nixon shared a video also urging fans to cancel their subscriptions.

Nixon said: ‘Hey I just canceled my Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions, and they asked me why. I hit “Other” and I wrote, “Because I believe in the First Amendment, reinstate Jimmy Kimmel now.”‘

‘My whole family is really gonna miss Abbott Elementary. We are really gonna miss Only Murders in the Building. But you know what? We would miss the First Amendment whole lot more,’ she added.

Four Democratic lawmakers have called on the owners of two major TV stations following their refusal to air Jimmy Kimmel’s return on Tuesday.

In a seven-page letter obtained by NBC News, the lawmakers called on Nexstar Media Group’s chairman Perry Sook and Sinclair Broadcast Group’s President and Chief Executive Christopher Ripley demanding answers.

The letter asked both corporate heads for further information on their decision to replace Kimmel’s return on Tuesday with news programming and ‘how those decisions may relate to regulatory issues pending with the Trump administration.’

‘If you suspended a late-night comedian’s show in part to seek regulatory favors from the administration, you have not only assisted the administration in eroding First Amendment freedoms but also create the appearance of a possible quid-pro-quo arrangement that could implicate federal anti-corruption laws,’ the letter said.

The letter was sent by Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.

Together, Nexstar and Sinclair own around 70 ABC affiliates across the US.

Both media groups were revealed to have pending business with the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission, which regulates broadcast television and other media platforms.

Nexstar was revealed to be seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger with rival, Tegna. Sinclair was also reported to be looking for business mergers.

The lawmakers asked eight questions of the corporate heads, including which executives were involved in discussions over pre-empting Kimmel’s show, what actions the companies are taking to ‘facilitate the Trump administration’s sign-off’ on pending deals, and whether the groups spoke to FCC or Trump officials about the decision.

Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension is revealed to have cost The Walt Disney Company nearly $5 billion of its market value after facing waves of backlash for slashing the late night host’s show.

Outrage over Kimmel’s cancellation sent social media into a frenzy as many began to take their anger out on Disney.

Users online began to boycott the company and started cancelling their Disney+ subscriptions in protest of Kimmel’s suspension.

‘Consumers were exercising their own First Amendment rights and ending their subscriptions to the company’s streaming services,’ Susan Campbell, a media studies professor at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, told Reuters.

In a statement on Monday, The Walt Disney Company said: ‘It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.’

Experts said the decision to bring Kimmel back was fueled by business interests after Disney stock plummeted in the days after the late night host’s suspension.

Between September 17 and early on Tuesday, Disney stock fell by 2.39 percent – around $4.99 billion in market value.

Social media swirled over the last week with many expressing outrage, and others support, for Kimmel’s cancellation.

Sinclair, which runs ABC stations in Seattle and Portland, will not air Kimmel’s late night show Tuesday after ABC announced it would allow it to return following a suspension over the host’s comments about the Charlie Kirk assassination.

Sinclair owns 38 ABC affiliates across 18 states, including in Washington DC, Salt Lake City, El Paso, Austin, Nashville, Las Vegas and Pittsburgh.

The company had previously said it will refuse to lift the suspension of Kimmel’s show on its stations ‘until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.’

The broadcaster also called on Kimmel to issue a ‘direct apology to the Kirk family’ and to make a ‘meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA’. TPUSA is a conservative college campus group founded by Kirk, while Kimmel is known for having liberal views.

Sinclair Broadcasting Group and Nexstar Media Group want Jimmy Kimmel to apologize for comments he made about Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin before they agree to air his show, a source told Fox News.

Disney and other networks are reportedly coordinating with Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, to settle the dispute.

‘Everyone would accept a real apology,’ a source reportedly told Fox. ‘Will it subside the rage? Sinclair and Nexstar will be watching closely’ they said, adding that Disney execs ‘want peace.’

ABC has not released transcripts of Kimmel’s monologue ahead of tonight’s show airing, however, sources close to the negotiations believe a ‘apology/non apology’ is in the works.

Jennifer Aniston, one of Jimmy Kimmel’s best friends of over a decade, has remained mysteriously silent on his show’s suspension, despite calls for her to weigh in.

Insiders have revealed she’s being urged to remain quiet – no matter how hard it is for her.

The source said the Friends star is ‘100 percent in his corner’, but her team has warned her speaking out will invoke a huge backlash.

An insider told the Daily Mail there was ‘chaos’ backstage on the set of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday as staff admitted they had no idea what the host would say on his dramatic return to air.

Olivia Rodrigo allegedly pulled out of her perfomance at Disney’s Lilith Fair documentary premiere over the weekend to protest Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension.

Rodrigo, 22, appears briefly in the closing moments of the film, where she describes the groundbreaking all-female music festival as her artistic compass.

‘The Lilith Fair artists were my north stars,’ she says in the segment.

While McLachlan acknowledged the cancellations, it was Rodrigo’s absence that drew the most attention.

Security at Jimmy Kimmel Live! is preparing to tame any audience member who acts out of order during the show’s taping, sources told the Daily Mail.

They are doubling down on the check-in process and are prepared to act if any audience member screams or attempts to do anything, the insider said.

Jimmy Kimmel’s sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez broke his silence and celebrated the show’s return to air in an Instagram post.

‘We are back full of love,’ he said along with a photo of the duo hugging.

Rodriguez was seen dodging questions as he and other staff fled the studio after ABC ‘indefinitely’ suspended the late night talk show last week.

Rodriguez – who began appearing on the late night talk show in 2003 – was seen driving out of the studio in Hollywood with people gathered nearby.

However, he evaded questions about Kimmel being pulled off the air by keeping his windows rolled up.

Rodriguez had initially been a parking lot security guard for the late night talk show – but was offered to appear on the series when he was discovered sleeping inside the car of announcer Dicky Barrett.

After turning down the offer initially, he eventually decided to make an appearance following a conversation with one of the show’s producers.

Rodriguez took part in skits on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and became the comedian’s sidekick on the talk show.

Sarah McLachlan was spotted outside the El Capitan Theatre ahead of her musical guest performance on Jimmy Kimmel’s first show back.

McLachlan abruptly canceled her performance at the premiere of Disney’s highly anticipated Lilith Fair documentary on Sunday in protest of Kimmel’s suspension.

Joe Rogan blasted conservatives who supported Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension in a new episode of his podcast on Tuesday.

‘I definitely don’t think that the government should be involved ever in dictating what a comedian can or cannot say in a monologue,’ Rogan said.

‘The problem is the companies, if they’re being pressured by the government, so if that’s real and if people on the right are like, “Yeah, go get ’em.” Oh my God, you are crazy. You are crazy for supporting this because this will be used on you.’

Rogan defended Kimmel’s controvesial remarks about Charlie Kirk’s murder that led to the supension.

‘I think what he was trying to do was just set up a joke. He was trying to knock on the MAGA people, but also set up a joke, which was good,’ Rogan said. ‘It was very funny.’

He also called it ‘insane’ that Donald Trump weighed in on Kimmel’s suspension.

‘How do you have time while you’re running the world to be tweeting that you don’t like talk show hosts?’ Rogan said. ‘That is so crazy.’

Starting October 21, the cost of an ad-free Disney+plan will climb by $3 to $19 a month, while the ad-supported version will rise by $2 to $12 a month.

Disney has raised prices in October for the past years too, by 25 percent in 2024 and 27 per cent in 2023.

The hikes come as Disney continues to reel from the fallout involving late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

Roseanne Barr called out Barack Obama for claiming Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension was ‘cancel culture.’

‘Remember when you and your wife called Bob Iger to have me fired?’ she said to the former president on X.

Obama had posted, ‘After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.’

Jimmy Kimmel was pictured entering the El Capitan Entertainment Centre on Hollywood Boulevard just hours before his show is set to make its return after a nearly week-long suspension.

He was photographed driving in his car, then entering the studio through its back door to avoid news crews.

The show will air at 11.35pm ET on ABC, although not all stations will carry it.

Sinclair and Nexstar stations, which make up about a third of ABC’s affiliates, declared they will not be showing the program.

Actor Glen Powell will be joining Kimmel on Tuesday night for the return of his show, and Sarah McLachlan is slated as the evening’s musical guest.

ABC parent company Disney announced Jimmy Kimmel Live! would return to the airwaves in a statement on Monday.

Here is the full statement:

The letter begins: ‘We the people must never accept government threats to our freedom of speech. Efforts by leaders to pressure artists, journalists, and companies with retaliation for their speech strike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country.

‘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.

‘We know this moment is bigger than us and our industry. Teachers, government employees, law firms, researchers, universities, students and so many more are also facing direct attacks on their freedom of expression.’

‘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.

‘This is the moment to defend free speech across our nation. We encourage all Americans to join us, along with the ACLU, in the fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights.’

In total, more than 430 movie, TV and stage stars as well as comedians, directors and writers added their names.

Jimmy Kimmel Live will return to the airwaves Tuesday night after a week-long suspension over the host’s comments on Charlie Kirk’s murder.

The show will air at 11.35pm ET on ABC, although not all stations will carry it.

Sinclair and Nexstar stations, which make up about a third of ABC’s affiliates, declared they will not be showing the program.

Episodes will be available for streaming on Hulu the next day.

Noah Centineo was the target of social media commenters accusing him of jumping on the bandwagon in regard to the ongoing situation centered around Jimmy Kimmel involving ABC and its parent company Disney.

In his social media post, Centineo showed off a screenshot signaling he had canceled his Disney+ membership. 

The actor urged his 13.6 million followers to ‘save money today’ by canceling the streaming service following their suspension of Kimmel

A schedule released by ABC revealed that actor Glen Powell will be joining Jimmy Kimmel on Tuesday night for the return of his show.

Sarah McLachlan is slated as the evening’s musical guest.

Powell will be promoting his new Hulu show, Chad Powers.

Singers Olivia Rodrigo and Ariana Grande shared their support for Jimmy Kimmel by reposting SAG-AFTRA’s statement on his suspension.

‘So upset over this blatant censorship and abuse of power. I stand with Jimmy Kimmel and I stand for freedom of speech,’ Rodrigo added to her post.

The SAG-AFTRA statement condemning Kimmel’s suspension said, ‘Our society depends on freedom of expression. Suppression of free speech and retaliation for speaking out on significant issues of public concern run counter to the fundamental rights we all rely on.

‘Democracy thrives when diverse points of view are expressed. The decision to suspend airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! is the type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone’s freedoms.

‘SAG-AFTRA stands with all media artists and defends their right to express their diverse points of view, and everyone’s right to hear them.’

Supporters placed a display over the 101 freeway in Hollywood, California on Tuesday that declared, ‘Pressure Works – Kimmel Is Back.’

Jimmy Kimmel posted on Instagram for the first time since his show was pulled from ABC.

He posted a tribute that many fans saw as a subtle statement on the controversy surrounding his program.

‘Missing this guy today,’ Kimmel wrote alongside a photo of himself with legendary TV producer Norman Lear, who passed away in December 2023.

Lear, best known for creating groundbreaking sitcoms like All in the Family and The Jeffersons, was a staunch defender of free speech and the First Amendment.

In an interview with Rachel Maddow on Sept 22, former VP Kamala Harris ripped into Disney’s decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel off the air despite her friendship with Dana Walden, the co-chairman of Disney Entertainment.

‘I am a lifelong public servant,’ but ‘I’ve worked closely with the private sector over many years,’ Harris told Maddow.

‘And I always believed that if push came to shove, those titans of industry would be guardrails for our democracy, for the importance of sustaining democratic institutions. And one by one by one, they have been silent,’ she continued.

Harris and Walden have been friends sincde 1994. Their husbands, Matt Walden and Doug Emhoff, have known each other since the 1980s, with Kamala once declaring them ‘extrodinary friends.’

Ellen DeGeneres, who is famous for being a talk show host herself, joined the slew of stars voicing their support for Kimmel and rejoicing at the announcement on Monday.

‘Cannot wait to hear @JimmyKimmel’s monologue tomorrow,’ DeGeneres wrote as she shared a screenshot of the news on Instagram — just as Kimmel’s fellow late night talk show hosts addressed the news on their own Monday monologues.

Insiders told the Daily Mail staff expect the late-night host to ‘come out swinging’ when he returns to air on Tuesday night.

The content of Kimmel’s opening monologue is being kept a secret, and it’s unclear if he will address the suspension.

But the insider has made clear that there could be consequences if Kimmel doesn’t defend himself and fight back against censorship.

Former IndyCar racer Danica Patrick, a Trump supporter who has been on Kimmel’s show before, celebrated the news that he had been suspended but late Monday said she understands the decision to bring him back.

‘Totally fine,’ she on on Instagram, responding to the latest development. ‘An employer has a choice to hire and fire and run a business.

‘I don’t think he is as funny as he used to be, but that little problem will take care of itself in time. He will either start making real jokes and not stupid distasteful emotional jabs or he won’t.

‘When I raced I never talked about politics and religion. I understood the unspoken agreement to be PC.

‘All that is ever at play, is money. And you better believe if it’s not flowing, something goes. Clock is ticking again.’

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr defended ABC affiliates refusing to air Jimmy Kimmel after his return.

‘And there it is. On Kimmel, the Democrats are engaged in nothing more than Projection and Distortion,’ Carr said on X, along with a repost of a California state senator calling for Sinclair to be broken up.

‘Projection because Democrats are the ones that spent years illegally weaponizing government to silence dissent. And it is Democrats that will do it all again—as they are openly telling you today.

‘Distortion because Democrats want to blame anything other than Disney and their local TV stations for Kimmel’s suspension. Those businesses decided that, in their view, a suspension made sense. The reporting on this is clear.’

Carr defended Sinclair and Nexstar’s refusals to air Kimmel’s show despite his return.

‘Notably, this is the first time recently that any local TV stations have pushed back on a national programmer like Disney. And that is a good thing because we want want empowered local TV stations,’ Carr said.

‘After all, local TV stations—not the national programmers—have public interest obligations, and they should be making decisions that in their view meets the needs of their local communities.’

Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg claimed that Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension was about politics and pressure from the Trump Administration.

‘It’s really important to understand that the Jimmy Kimmel news is about politics,’ Buttigieg said on social media last week.

‘This is about the president of the United States who doesn’t like that a comedian had the freedom to make fun of him, pressuring a corporation that had business before the government to make sure that he was taken off the air.’

He encouraged companies not to succumb to pressure from the White House.

‘There is something I want to say to any of the business leaders who are being dragged across one red line after the other, who are going along with it because they think it’s going to help them, or because they think it will get the Trump Administration off their back,’ he said.

‘You need to understand that this is a one-way trip. That sooner or later, if you play this game, you will have even less room for maneuver in the future.

‘They didn’t stop at the law firms. They didn’t stop at the universities. They didn’t even stop with the comedians. They are not going to stop until they have total power. And if you try to ride this tiger as a business or organizational leader, sooner or later it will eat you.’

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz slammed Donald Trump’s powerful Federal Communications Commission chairman following Jimmy Kimmel’s removal by ABC.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr earlier threatened ABC and Disney to ‘change conduct and take action’ against Kimmel following comments he made regarding Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

Cruz, who has appeared on Kimmel’s show in the past for friendly interviews and segments, called Carr’s actions ‘dangerous’ as hell’ and ‘right out of Goodfellas.’

‘If the government gets in the business of saying, ‘We don’t like what you, the media, have said; we’re going to ban you from the airwaves if you don’t say what we like’ — that will end up bad for conservatives,’ the Texan asserted.

Nexstar Media Group, which owns 28 ABC affiliate stations, announced it will continue to no longer air Jimmy Kimmel’s show, despite its network return.

‘We made a decision last week to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! following what ABC referred to as Mr. Kimmel’s “ill-timed and insensitive” comments at a critical time in our national discourse,’ the company said on Tuesday.

‘We stand by that decision pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.

‘In the meantime, we note that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be available nationwide on multiple Disney-owned streaming products, while our stations will focus on continuing to produce local news and other programming relevant to their respective markets.’

Seth Meyers said Jimmy Kimmel’s comeback to late-night proves it is possible to stand up to ‘bullying and censorship’ from the Trump Administration.

‘It is possible to stand up to this kind of bullying and censorship. For example, Trump tried to sue the New York Times, and that suit has already been thrown out. And minutes before we started taping, we got word that our friend Jimmy Kimmel will be back on the air tomorrow,’ Meyers said.

‘There has been a massive national backlash to Trump’s crackdown on free speech, even among conservatives. I haven’t seen a poll yet. But I think, if you asked Americans if the president should be dictating what TV hosts can and can’t say, you’d get about three percent positive and,’ he said, then played a clip of Trump saying ’97 percent negative.’

Meyers insisted that making jokes about the president is not negative coverage, but rather a natural result of being the most powerful person in the world.

“Yes, comedy shows make jokes about the president,” Meyers said. “You know why? Because he’s the president. He’s the most powerful, most famous person on the planet, and in this particular case, he’s a billionaire, and his party controls everything.

‘You want us to make the exact same number of jokes about Chuck Schumer that we make about Donald Trump? The only person who would enjoy that is Chuck Schumer, and there’s no chance he’s awake at 12.37.’

The Daily Show host John Stewart reacted to Jimmy Kimmel’s return by mocking those who insisted the suspension was not a result of pressure from the Trump Administration.

‘It was rather shocking that this turnaround occurred, because I was told that the original decision to get rid of Jimmy had nothing to do with the Trump administration and their explicit FCC threat that they could remove the show the easy way or the hard way,’ Stewart said jokingly.

He also teased people who threatened to boycott ABC’s parent company, Disney, and credited them for the show’s return.

‘The campaign that you all launched, pretending that you were going to cancel Hulu while secretly racing through four seasons of Only Murders in the Building, really worked. Congratulations!

‘Wasn’t it interesting to try and figure out all the tentacles Disney has in your daily life?

‘It’s one thing to swear off cruises, but the Avengers? How is it possible that by getting rid of one company, I can’t watch Winnie-the-Pooh or Monday Night Football? Or listen to early Hilary Duff?’

The Late Show host Stephen Colbert praised Disney’s decision to bring back Jimmy Kimmel Live! and joked that his network, CBS, should do the same for him.

‘We do, like, 160 of these a year or something, and when I have the chance, it’s always nice to start the show with some good news,’ Colbert said in his monologue on Monday.

‘Just a few hours before we tape this broadcast, we got word that our long national late-nightmare is over, because Disney announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to the air on ABC tomorrow, Tuesday night.

‘This is wonderful news for my dear friend Jimmy and his amazing staff. Plus, now that Jimmy’s not being cancelled, I get to enjoy this again,’ he said as he pulled out his Emmy award.

‘Once more, I am the only martyr in late night. Wait, unless, CBS, you want to announce anything?’ Colbert joked, referring to his own show’s cancellation.

‘Still no? Right, because of the money thing? I forgot. Yeah, the money thing.’

Jimmy Kimmel cracked about 10 times more jokes about President Donald Trump on his late night show than Joe Biden, according to a new analysis.

Only 8 percent were about Democrats, according to the study by Media Research Center’s NewsBusters. In that time, Kimmel made 3,584 jokes about Trump, but only 336 about Biden.

Jimmy Kimmel‘s return to late night TV is set to be a ratings disaster after 70 ABC affiliate stations said they would not be broadcasting Tuesday’s show.

Nexstar said Tuesday morning it would not be screening Jimmy Kimmel Live! on the 38 ABC stations it owns, Variety reported.

The broadcasting conglomerate joins the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which has already said it will not screen Kimmel’s comeback on the 32 ABC affiliates it owns.