returned to TV airwaves Tuesday night after his suspension over remarks he made over the assassination of right-wing media personality Charlie Kirk, sparking a fierce debate about free speech under U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.聽
Returning to the stage surrounded by applause from those in the audience, Kimmel thanked the crowd and said:
鈥淎nyways, as I was saying before I was interrupted.鈥
In the highly anticipated episode of the 22-year-long running talk show, Kimmel discussed his time away from television, the people who reached out during his absence, and those who supported him and his show in recent days.聽
Kimmel, who was seemingly emotional during his monologue, addressed the controversy head-on.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think what I have to say is going to make much of a difference, if you like me, you like me. If you don鈥檛, you don鈥檛, I have no illusions about changing anyone鈥檚 mind.鈥
鈥淏ut I do want to make something clear because it聽is important to me as a human, it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man.鈥
Kimmel also noted it was not his intention to blame anyone other than the man accused in Kirk’s murder.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there is anything funny about it. I posted a message on Instagram the day he was killed sending love to his family and asking for compassion, and I meant it, I still do, nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual.鈥
Kimmel continued by saying: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone, this was a sick person who believed violence was a solution and it isn鈥檛.鈥
ABC suspends Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely over his remarks about Charlie Kirk鈥檚 death
鈥淐ongratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done,” said U.S.
Star-studded return episode
The episode also featured actor Robert De Niro making a guest appearance, parodying FCC Chair Brendan Carr.
Kimmel then discussed other news, such as聽聽and the president鈥檚 unproven suggestion that聽Tylenol during pregnancy is a possible link to autism聽in children.
“I’m not sure who had a weirder 48 hours, me or the CEO of Tylenol,” Kimmel joked.聽
Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan also made an appearance, performing “Better Broken,” the titular song of her latest album.聽
Sarah McLachlan performs the song Better Broken on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
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About Jimmy Kimmel Live:
Jimmy Kimmel serves as host and executive producer of Emmy® nominated “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC’s late-night talk show. “Jimmy Kimmel Live” is well known for its viral video successes, with over 16 billion views and more than 19 million subscribers on the show’s YouTube channel. Some of Kimmel’s most popular comedy bits include Celebrities Read Mean Tweets, Lie Witness News, Halloween Candy YouTube Challenge, Jimmy and Cousin Sal pranking Aunt Chippy and music stars like Rihanna and Dua Lipa surprising Jimmy in the middle of the night.
Kimmel addresses聽Trump
The late-night comedian didn’t shy away from joking about the president.聽
鈥淵ou almost have to feel sorry for him, he tried his best to cancel me, but instead he forced millions of people to watch the show,鈥 Kimmel told his audience Tuesday night.聽
鈥淗e might have to release the Epstein files to distract us from this now,” he quipped.聽
A debate surrounding free speech聽
鈥淪hould the government be allowed to regulate which podcasts the cellphone companies and Wi-Fi providers are allowed to let you download? To make sure they serve public interest?鈥 Kimmel said.
In last Monday’s episode, which sparked the controversy, Kimmel made comments tying Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man charged in Kirk’s death, to the Make America Great Again movement, then made a joke about Trump鈥檚 response to a on the White House lawn about Kirk鈥檚 death.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr called the late-night host鈥檚 comments 鈥渢ruly sick鈥 and suggested that ABC and Disney could face regulatory consequences, stating: 鈥淲e could do this the easy way or the hard way.鈥
After the show鈥檚 cancellation, voices from across the United States began sharing their thoughts on the matter, ranging from politicians to celebrities.
Podcaster Joe Rogan, who was an influential supporter of Trump’s last presidential campaign, also commented on Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension in defence of the late-night comic.聽
“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 on the Tuesday edition of his podcast.聽
He said conservatives defending that kind of suspension were “crazy.”
“If people on the right are like ‘Yeah, go get ‘em,’ oh my god, you’re crazy,” Rogan said. “You’re crazy for supporting this. Because this will be used on you.”
The show was suspended after Kimmel reacted to the assassination of right-wing personality
Fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert celebrated Kimmel’s return during his own show .
“Once more, I am the only martyr in late night!” he said. “Unless 鈥 CBS, you want to announce anything? Still no? Right, ‘cause the money thing. I forgot.”
In July, CBS said that Colbert’s “Late Show” was cancelled for financial reasons, though the announcement came three days after Colbert criticized a $16-million settlement between Trump and Paramount Global, parent company of CBS, over a “60 Minutes” story.
Donald Trump commented on ABC鈥檚 decision to bring Kimmel back to late-night comedy on .
鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back. 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 鈥榯alent鈥 was never there,鈥 said Trump, who also noted how they are going to test ABC following its decision to bring the show back after its initial cancellation.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e going to test ABC out on this. Let鈥檚 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.鈥
Kimmel thanks supporters 鈥 and Erika Kirk
鈥淭hat is an example we should follow,鈥 said Kimmel, regarding , forgiving the man who allegedly shot and killed her husband.
Kimmel said that Trump鈥檚 actions were un-American, and that he sees unity from across the political spectrum.
鈥淚鈥檓 so glad we have some solidarity on that from the left and right and from those in the middle like Joe Rogan, maybe the silver lining in this is that we found one thing we can agree on.鈥
鈥淢aybe we can get a little bit closer together,” he continued. “We do agree on a lot of things, we agree on keeping our children safe from guns, from reproductive rights for women, social security, affordable health care, pediatric cancer research. These are things that most Americans support.鈥
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