The move to pull Jimmy Kimmel off the air over his remarks about Charlie Kirk’s assassination has sparked outrage — especially in Hollywood.
Now, a wave of celebrities are speaking out against ABC’s decision, and their reactions are anything but mild.
Jimmy Kimmel is done with his talk show, at least for the time being. On Wednesday, ABC confirmed that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be preempted “for the foreseeable future,” beginning with Wednesday’s show.
It was on Monday night that Jimmy Kimmel commented on the killing of Charlie Kirk, saying: “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.”
He also criticized that flags were being lowered to half-mast in honor of Kirk. Moreover, Kimmel also mocked President Donald Trump’s reaction to the shooting.
“This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish,” the talkshow host added.
Kimmel received hefty criticism after the comments.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr condemned the host in an interview with YouTuber Benny Johnson, threatening to revoke the licenses of ABC affiliates that continued to broadcast Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
And on Wednesday, Nexstar Media Group and partner television stations affiliated with ABC Television Network announced that they will preempt the talk show.
A spokesperson told BBC News: ”Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely.”
While Donald Trump has praised the move, the decision has sparked a wave of backlash from celebrities — including one who had been set to appear on the show this Wednesday.
Wanda Sykes
Comedian Wanda Sykes, 61, revealed on Instagram that she had been scheduled as a guest on the show — but never made the appearance since it was canceled.
In a video message, Sykes also aimed her criticism at the president, saying: ”Let’s see. He didn’t end the Ukraine war or solve Gaza within his first week. But he did end freedom of speech within his first year. Hey, for those of you who pray, now’s the time to do it. Love you, Jimmy.”
Ben Stiller
Hollywood heavyweight Ben Stiller also spoke out against the decision. The filmmaker and actor kept it short but powerful, simply posting on X (formerly Twitter): “This isn’t right.”
Jamie Lee Curtis
The actress shared her reaction to Jimmy Kimmel’s show being suspended over his comments about Charlie Kirk’s death.
The Freaky Friday star spoke out in an interview with Marc Maron on his WTF podcast, released Sunday, September 15. Speaking about Kirk, she said:
”I disagreed with him on almost every point I ever heard him say, but I believe he was a man of faith, and I hope in that moment when he died, that he felt connected with his faith.”
She added: ”Even though his ideas were abhorrent to me. I still believe he’s a father and a husband and a man of faith. And I hope whatever connection to God means that he felt it.”
But when it came to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, the actress shared a post from Rolling Stone on her Instagram page.
It referenced an April 2025 interview in which Kimmel told the magazine: ”I don’t think anybody should be canceled. I really don’t.”
Mike Birbiglia
Comedian Mike Birbiglia actually has a direct connection to the show — he temporarily stepped in for Kimmel back in 2022 while the late-night host was recovering from COVID-19.
In an Instagram post, he wrote: “I’ve spent a lot of time in public + private defending comedians I don’t agree with. If you’re a comedian + don’t call out the insanity of pulling Kimmel off the air — don’t bother spouting off about free speech anymore.”
Megyn Kelly
Journalist and attorney Megyn Kelly reacting to ABC’s decision on social media, and wrote: “Just think for a minute about the amount of IRATE mail/viewer feedback they must have gotten to do this.”
Christie Brinkley
Supermodel, actress, and ’80s icon Christie Brinkley shared a photo of Kimmel and the team on Instagram, writing: “I love these guys. The laughter they provide is as important as the air we breathe. We must protect their and our First Amendment rights!”
Sophia Bush
Sophia Bush, star of One Tree Hill, responded to the news on Twitter, writing: ”The First Amendment doesn’t exist in America anymore. Period. Fascism is here and it’s chilling.”
The backlash from Hollywood shows no signs of slowing down, as stars from all corners continue to weigh in on Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension.
From comedians to actors and journalists, the message is clear: the debate over free speech and censorship in entertainment isn’t going away anytime soon. What do you think? Please let us know in the comments.
