‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ to Return to Air 

Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show is officially returning to the airwaves Tuesday night, ending a short but contentious suspension that set off a firestorm over free speech and political pressure on the media.

“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,” ABC parent the Walt Disney Company said in a statement, according to the Hollywood Reporter. “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.”

The “comments” in question came during Kimmel’s broadcast last Monday, when he waded into the fallout from the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. 

“We hit 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, and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said on last Monday night’s broadcast. His remarks were widely criticized by right-wing commentators as reckless and, ultimately leading ABC to announce an “indefinite” pause.

Kimmel subsequently received a wave of support from past presidents, current political figures, and a plethora of celebrities.

“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 like,” former President Barack Obama said in a tweet last week. “This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent — and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it.”

Actor Ben Stiller also voiced his support on X, simply saying, “This isn’t right,” in response to the news.