Jimmy Kimmel's Show Off Air after Controversial Remarks on Charlie Kirk's Death

Jimmy Kimmel's late-night television show has been “indefinitely” suspended following his comments about Charlie Kirk’s killing and the motives behind it.

In a statement released to AFP, an ABC spokesperson confirmed the suspension, saying, “Jimmy Kimmel Live will be preempted indefinitely.”

The controversy stemmed from Kimmel’s remarks regarding the murder of Kirk, who was a well-known right-wing political activist. Kimmel accused supporters of former President Donald Trump of attempting to downplay the killing by a 22-year-old shooter, Tyler Robinson, and using it for political gain.

“We reached 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.

Charlie Kirk was a right-wing political activist, writer, and media personality. He believed in the ideology of conservatism and often spoke about issues such as free speech, immigration, race, gender, and education. However, some of his stances attracted criticism especially on race and gender, but he remained a central figure in conservative media circles.

Robinson, who is facing formal charges for the murder, allegedly shot Kirk in the neck with a single bullet from a rooftop. He was apprehended by law enforcement shortly after the incident.

The president of Nexstar Media Group, which owns numerous ABC affiliate stations, expressed strong disapproval.

“Mr. Kimmel’s remarks about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive, especially at a critical time in our national political discourse. We do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located," he said. “Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at this time, and we have made the difficult decision to preempt his show in an effort to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue.”

Shortly after the show's cancellation, Trump wrote on social media, “The ratings-challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”

The timing of Kimmel’s suspension also coincides with Trump’s ongoing legal battles with the media. On Monday, the former president filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the newspaper of a “decades-long pattern” of publishing falsehoods with “actual malice.”