Jimmy Kimmel is getting the last word.
Less than a week after Jimmy Kimmel Live! was abruptly suspended “indefinitely” amid backlash to comments he’d made during his Sept. 15 monologue about Charlie Kirk’s murder, Kimmel returned to the air and got emotional while sharing his thoughts on the controversy, emphasizing that he never intended to insinuate that he condoned violence.
“It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” he said, choking back tears. “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”
And Kimmel went on to explain that it was also not his intention to “blame any specific group for the actions of what it was obviously a deeply disturbed individual.”
“That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make,” he said. “But I understand that to some that felt either ill-timed or unclear—or maybe both—and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset. If the situation was reversed, it was a good chance I’d feel the same way.”
However, the late-night host said he “did not agree” with ABC’s decision to pull him off the air.
“I told them that, and we had many conversations,” Jimmy recalled, adding that they ultimately changed their minds. “We have short attention spans, and I am a tiny part of the Disney Corporation. They welcomed me back on the air, and I thank them for that.”
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Jimmy Kimmel’s Late-Night Show Returning After Suspension
And Kimmel also shared how grateful he was for the support he received from people all over the world during his six-day suspension.
“I’ve heard from all the people over in the world over the last six days, everyone I have ever met has reached out 10 or 11 times,” he continued. “I also want to thank all of you who supported our show, cared enough to do something about it, to make your voices heard, so that mine could be heard. I will never forget it.”
Kimmel added, “Maybe most of all, I want to thank the people who don’t support my show and what I believe, but support my right to share those beliefs anyway.”
Jimmy Kimmel
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ABC and its parent company Disney confirmed Sept. 22 that Kimmel’s show, which was pulled off the air Sept. 17, would resume on Sept. 23 while detailing the “thoughtful conversations” with Kimmel during his absence.
“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,” the network said in a Sept. 22 statement obtained by NBC News. “It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.”
Amid his suspension, the 57-year-old—who has hosted his late-night series for over 20 years—received a rallying of support from friends and acquaintances in the entertainment industry, including from Jennifer Aniston, Olivia Rodrigo, Selena Gomez and over 300 others who signed a petition of support to reinstate his show.
“The silencing of Jimmy Kimmel and jawboning of media outlets through lawsuits and threats to their licenses evoke dark memories of the 1950s,” the statement read, per The Hollywood Reporter. “We must remember, however, that Senator McCarthy was ultimately disgraced and neutralized once Americans mobilized and stood up to him. We must do the same today because together, our voices are louder and together, we will fight to be heard.”
Following Kimmel’s Sept. 15 monologue comments about Kirk’s suspected killer, Tyler Robinson, FCC Chair Brendan Carr criticized the comedian and warned ABC and its stations that “we can do this the easy or the hard way,” which many interpreted as a threat to pull network affiliate licensess and sparked a chain of events that led to Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s sudden hiatus. (Carr later denied that his comments were meant to be a threat in “any way shape or form.”)
Amid Kimmel’s suspension, his fellow late night hosts Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver and Jimmy Fallon all made a point to speak out against his suspension on their own shows.
“I don’t know what’s going on, and no one does,” the latter Tonight Show host said during his Sept. 18 monologue. “But I do know Jimmy Kimmel, and he’s a decent, funny and loving guy, and I hope he comes back.”
And now that Kimmel has made his official return…