Jimmy Kimmel taken off air over Charlie Kirk feedback

ABC has pulled late-night host Jimmy Kimmel off air indefinitely over feedback he made concerning the capturing of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk.

“Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,” a spokesperson for the Disney-owned community stated in an announcement.

Earlier this week, Kimmel stated throughout his present that the “Maga gang” was attempting to attain political factors off Kirk’s killing.

Kimmel has not commented however President Donald Trump stated it was “great news for America”.

The suspension got here simply hours after Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr threatened to behave in opposition to Disney and ABC over Kimmel’s remarks.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Mr Carr, a Trump appointee, informed the Benny Show, a conservative 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 FCC ahead.”

In his Monday night time monologue, Kimmel stated: “The Maga Gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

The time period “Maga” is brief for Trump’s long-running marketing campaign slogan, Make America Great Again, and lots of the US president’s supporters usually put on caps and shirts bearing the phrase.

The late-night host additionally famous flags being flown at half mast in honour of Kirk, which bought some criticism on the time, and mocked US President Donald Trump’s response to the capturing.

“This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish,” stated Kimmel, who has usually poked enjoyable at Trump.

On the day Kirk was shot, Kimmel took to Instagram to sentence the assault and ship “love” to the 31-year-old activist’s household.

A suspect, 22, has since appeared in courtroom charged with aggravated homicide.

Shortly after ABC introduced Kimmel had been suspended, President Trump wrote in a social media put up: “The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”

Kimmel is without doubt one of the prime chat present personalities within the US. He has fronted his present Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003 and hosted the Oscars 4 occasions.

After he was taken off air, Kimmel left the present’s studio on Hollywood Boulevard carrying a flannel shirt and cap and rode away in a automotive with out remark.

Fans of the present, who had been queuing as much as be part of the stay viewers, expressed disappointment concerning the cancellation.

Janna Blackwell, who was on vacation from Virginia, informed the BBC: “You know, this is getting ridiculous and stupid.

“Freedom of speech. He shared his opinion and is being cancelled. To me that’s weird.”

Some outstanding Hollywood figures spoke out in opposition to Kimmel’s suspension, with actor Ben Stiller sharing the news on X and commenting: “This is not proper.”

Hacks star Jean Smart, who gained an Emmy on Sunday, wrote on Instagram that she was “horrified on the cancellation”, adding: “What Jimmy stated was free speech, not hate speech.”

Others argued Kimmel’s suspension was not an example of cancel culture.

“When an individual says one thing {that a} ton of individuals discover offensive, impolite, dumb in actual time after which that particular person is punished for it that is not cancel tradition. That is penalties to your actions,” businessman Dave Portnoy, who founded digital media company Barstool Sports, said.

A joint statement from House Democrat leaders said Mr Carr had “engaged within the corrupt abuse of energy” and called for him to resign.

“He has disgraced the workplace he holds by bullying ABC, the employer of Jimmy Kimmel, and forcing the corporate to bend the knee to the Trump administration,” said the statement from figures including Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

The ABC announcement came just after one of the biggest owners of TV stations in the US, Nexstar Media, said it would not air Jimmy Kimmel Live! “for the foreseeable future starting with tonight’s present”.

Nexstar said the comedian’s remarks about Kirk were “offensive and insensitive at a crucial time in our nationwide political discourse”.

“[We] don’t consider they replicate the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the native communities through which we’re situated,” said Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division.

Mr Carr thanked Nexstar “for doing the fitting factor” and said he hoped other broadcasters would follow its lead. Nexstar is currently seeking FCC approval for its planned $6.2bn (£4.5bn) merger with Tegna.

Sinclair, the largest ABC affiliate group in the US, followed suit. It said it would air a special remembrance programme dedicated to Kirk this Friday during the original time slot for Kimmel’s show.

Carr had earlier described Kimmel’s monologue as “the sickest conduct attainable” and he urged Disney to take action.

“[Broadcasters] have a license granted by us on the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to function within the public curiosity,” the Trump appointee told the Benny Show, a conservative podcast.

He noted that an apology from Kimmel would be a “very cheap, minimal step”.

But Anna Gomez, the only Democratic member of the FCC, criticised Carr’s remarks.

She posted on X that “an inexcusable act of political violence by one disturbed particular person must not ever be exploited as justification for broader censorship or management”.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA), Hollywood’s labour union, condemned the decision to take Kimmel off air as a violation of constitutional free speech rights.

“Shame on these in authorities who overlook this founding reality,” it stated in an announcement.

A person familiar with Kimmel’s situation told CNBC that the host had not been fired, adding that bosses at the network intended to speak to the comedian about what he should say when he goes back on air.

Kimmel is the latest late-night host to see his programme run into issues as more viewers turn to streaming over traditional network viewing.

In July, rival network CBS announced it would end The Late Show With Stephen Colbert next year after 11 seasons.

Network executives said the move was “not associated in any solution to the present’s efficiency, content material or different issues occurring at Paramount”.

However, Colbert tore into the network and its parent company over the decision.

He accused CBS of leaking financial figures to the press, and alluded to a $16m (£13.5m) settlement with Trump after he sued the network over an interview its 60 Minutes programme did last year with former Vice-President Kamala Harris.

That payout came several months after the Disney-owned ABC agreed to pay $15m (£12m) to Trump to settle a defamation lawsuit after its star anchor George Stephanopoulos falsely and repeatedly said during an interview that the president had been found “answerable for rape”.

A jury in a civil case had determined Trump was liable for “sexual abuse”, which has a specific definition under New York law.

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