Former President Barack Obama, Ben Stiller, Rosie O’Donnell and Wanda Sykes were among those who defended Jimmy Kimmel after his show was abruptly pulled from the air at the urging of the Trump Administration.
“This isn’t right,” Stiller posted on X.
Sykes, who had been scheduled to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday, before ABC suspended the show indefinitely, said on Instagram that Trump had “didn’t end the Ukraine war or solve Gaza within his first week. But he did end freedom of speech within his first year.”
She added: “Hey, for those of you who pray, now’s the time to do it. Love you, Jimmy.”
Former President Obama posted on Threads: “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. This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent — and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it.”
Two prominent Hollywood unions — SAG-AFTRA, which represents actors, and the Writers Guild of America — also spoke out for Kimmel.
“Democracy thrives when diverse points of view are expressed,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. “The decision to suspend airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! is the type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone’s freedoms.
“As a Guild, we stand united in opposition to anyone who uses their power and influence to silence the voices of writers, or anyone who speaks in dissent,” said the WGA statement. “If free speech applied only to ideas we like, we needn’t have bothered to write it into the Constitution. What we have signed on to – painful as it may be at times – is the freeing agreement to disagree. Shame on those in government who forget this founding truth. As for our employers, our words have made you rich. Silencing us impoverishes the whole world.”
O’Donnell lamented on Instagram: “this is unacceptable – f— this fascist administration and corrupt corporate executives – bowing to the orange monster – america is no more 🥲.”
Comedian and director Mike Birbiglia wrote on Instagram: “If you’re a comedian + don’t call out the insanity of pulling Kimmel off the air — don’t bother spouting off about free speech anymore.”
He was alluding to many pro-Trump comedians who loudly and frequently complained about cancel culture — before the Trump Administration had a comedian cancelled.
How the Trump Administration Fought Jimmy Kimmel
Brendan Carr, who Trump appointed as chair of the Federal Communications Commission, made threats Wednesday that the FCC might take action against Disney-owned ABC, saying on a podcast, “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the F.C.C. ahead.”
He also called on network affiliates to say, “Listen, we are going to pre-empt, we are not going to run Kimmel anymore until you straighten this out.”
Within hours, Nexstar, which needs FCC approval for a planned $6.2 billion deal to acquire a rival, announced that it would pre-empt Kimmel’s show. Additionally, Sinclair, which also owns ABC affiliate stations, said it would also stop airing Kimmel’s show, and called on Kimmel to apologize and “make a meaningful personal donation” Kirk’s family and his conservtive activist group, Turning Point USA. (Sinclair later said it would air a tribute to Kirk during Kimmel’s timeslot Friday.)
Late Wednesday, ABC announced that it would “indefinitely” pull Kimmel’s show from the airwaves.
President Trump applauded the movie, and called on other networks to cancel their late-night hosts as well.
“Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. 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!!! President DJT” the president wrote on Truth Social.
What Jimmy Kimmel Said About Charlie Kirk
Kimmel is a longtime Trump critic who has often mocked the Republican, including while hosting the 2024 Oscars.
In his opening monologue on Monday night, Kimmel argued that Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Kirk’s murder last week, was affiliated with the pro-Trump MAGA movement.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang 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.
Kimmel’s comment begins at the 1:30 mark in the video above, which you can also see here.
The Daily Mail has reported that Robinson’s grandmother said “most of my family members are Republican.” But CNN reports that prosecutors said Robinson’s mother has “explained that over the last year or so, Robinson had become more political and had started to lean more to the left – becoming more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented.”
Main image: Jimmy Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live Monday. ABC.