Disney’s ABC is facing intense backlash after indefinitely pulling “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air following comments by its host about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.Also Read | Lights, camera, shut down! Who is Jimmy Kimmel? Star host’s remarks on Charlie Kirk ends his late-night show Kirk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, was fatally shot on September 10 during an event at a Utah university. The FBI has charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with his murder.During his monologue on Monday, Kimmel criticized the response from Trump supporters, saying: “We had 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, doing everything they can to score political points from it.”Also Read | ‘Great news for America’: Donald Trump mocks Jimmy Kimmel as ‘zero talent’; praises ABC for axe On Wednesday, ABC announced the indefinite suspension of the late-night show. The move came after Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, threatened regulatory action, escalating political pressure on the network.“MAGA” refers to the US president’s “Make America Great Again” movement.Who said what“This isn’t right,” comedian Ben Stiller posted on X, while actor Jamie Lee Curtis voiced her support by sharing Kimmel’s photo along with a quote on Instagram.In an Instagram video, comedian Wanda Sykes criticized Trump, saying he had failed to end the Russia-Ukraine war but had “ended freedom of speech within his first year.” Actor Jean Smart also expressed solidarity, posting a photo with Kimmel and writing that she was “horrified” by ABC’s decision.“What Jimmy said was free speech, not hate speech. People only seem to defend free speech when it suits their agenda,” she said. Comedian Michael Kosta, a rotating host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show”, echoed the criticism on Instagram, calling the suspension “a serious moment in American history” and urging networks to push back, adding: “This is complete BS.”Unions representing writers, actors, and musicians — including the Writers Guild of America, the American Federation of Musicians, and SAG-AFTRA — denounced ABC’s move as an “attack on free speech.” Comedian and podcaster Marc Maron urged free speech advocates to “speak out” against the show’s suspension. “If you have any concern or belief in real freedom or the Constitution and free speech, this is it,” Maron said. “This is the deciding moment — this is what authoritarianism looks like in this country. It’s happening.” The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit, accused FCC chair Carr of “abusing” his position in pressuring ABC. Meanwhile, a protest by the activist group “Refuse Fascism” is planned for Thursday outside the El Capitan Entertainment Center in Hollywood, where “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is filmed.
