In a controversial move, ABC has opted to put Jimmy Kimmel Live on “indefinite” hiatus after the host’s comments about Tyler Robinson’s possible political leanings went viral. Robinson is the alleged assassin of Charlie Kirk, and since his arrest, there has been a lot of controversy and speculation surrounding the potential political motivations behind the killing. In his monologue Monday night, Kimmel said the following:
“The MAGA gang desperately [is] trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it”.
The comments immediately spawned a large backlash with a Nexstar, a huge owner of local TV stations, preemptively removing his show from the air. The FCC also threatened action. As such, the decision was made to take Kimmel off the air by ABC and Disney, although he was apparently set to address the comments head on in last night’s show had it been allowed to go on.
So, is Kimmel’s exit permanent? According to a report published by Deadline, there is apparently hope within Disney, the company that produces the show, that Kimmel will be back on air soon, after the controversy dies down. Kimmel has yet to make a statement.
Kimmel’s hiatus comes not too long after CBS announced that The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end in 2026, although the show won its first Emmy on Sunday night. Of the three kings of late-night TV, the largely apolitical Jimmy Fallon seems to be the only one on solid ground with his network.
Will this controversy blow over? Will Kimmel once again be back on the air? Time will tell.
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