Jimmy Kimmel is heading back to late night.
After a headline-grabbing suspension that turned into a national conversation on free speech, ABC has confirmed that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will resume broadcasting on Tuesday night.
The decision ends a whirlwind week that began with Kimmel’s September 15 on-air remark about Charlie Kirk’s assassin—a comment some viewers interpreted as a political swipe at MAGA supporters. The remark went viral and triggered intense backlash across social media. By Wednesday, FCC chair Brendan Carr was publicly threatening ABC’s affiliate licenses, while major affiliate groups like Nexstar and Sinclair warned they might pull the show. Nexstar later claimed its decision to consider a preemption was “independent,” but the timing left many skeptical.
Disney, ABC’s parent company, initially halted production. “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” Disney said in a Monday statement. “It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
Behind the scenes, Kimmel reportedly planned to defend his remarks rather than apologize, calling them “grossly mischaracterized” by MAGA critics. Disney executives feared that stance could escalate tensions and opted for a temporary suspension instead. Thursday talks between Kimmel and Disney ended without a resolution, and the host stood firm on not issuing an apology.
Even with his return scheduled, it’s unclear if every ABC affiliate will immediately carry the program. Sinclair has stated it won’t resume airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! until Kimmel apologizes, meets with company reps, and donates to Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point organization. Nexstar could also continue preempting the show, though episodes will remain available online nationwide.
The suspension drew praise from former President Trump and some conservative commentators but was met with far broader condemnation elsewhere. California Governor Gavin Newsom posted on X, “The @GOP does not believe in free speech. They are censoring you in real time.” Former President Barack Obama added, “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.”
Hollywood rallied quickly. Ben Stiller tweeted, “This isn’t right.” Jamie Lee Curtis voiced support for Kimmel, while Emmy winner Jean Smart said she was “horrified.” Marc Maron warned, “If you have any concern or belief in real freedom or the constitution and free speech, this is the deciding moment, this is what authoritarianism looks like in this country, it’s happening.”
Entertainment unions followed suit. SAG-AFTRA and the WGA condemned Disney’s move, with the WGA declaring, “The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other — to disturb, even — is at the very heart of what it means to be a free people. It is not to be denied. Not by violence, not by the abuse of governmental power, nor by acts of corporate cowardice.”
The American Civil Liberties Union released an open letter signed by more than 400 actors, writers, musicians, and filmmakers—including Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Ramy Youssef, and Kerry Washington—slamming the suspension as a dangerous precedent. Even within the FCC, dissent surfaced. Commissioner Anna M. Gomez said, “We cannot allow an inexcusable act of political violence to be twisted into a justification for government censorship and control. This FCC does not have the authority, the ability, or the constitutional right to police content or punish broadcasters for speech the government dislikes.”
Kimmel’s comeback arrives during a volatile period for late-night TV. CBS recently announced The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end in May, just days before the FCC approved CBS’s merger with Skydance. Meanwhile, Kimmel’s own contract runs through next year, and he’s previously hinted at retirement. Whether this suspension pushes him toward an exit—or motivates him to stay and fight—remains to be seen.
For now, fans can expect Kimmel back behind the desk Tuesday night, ready to pick up where he left off.
