Shortly after Jimmy Kimmel made controversial remarks regarding the shooting of late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, ABC — a Disney-owned network — announced that his late-night program, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, will be pulled from the air “indefinitely.” The update came in a September 17, 2025, statement from an ABC representative, who declined to provide additional details, according to CNN.
This development follows the recent cancellation of fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert’s show on CBS earlier this summer, which ended its run after winning an Emmy Award.
Was Jimmy Kimmel Fired by ABC?
Not officially. While ABC has not confirmed whether Kimmel has been fired or whether the show is permanently canceled, the use of the term “indefinite” hiatus raises speculation that Jimmy Kimmel Live! could face cancelation in the near future.
Adding to the uncertainty, Nexstar — an ABC-affiliated station group — announced it will stop airing Kimmel’s show “for the foreseeable future.” In a statement, Nexstar said it “strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk” and will replace the program with alternative content across its ABC markets.
At this point, the future of Jimmy Kimmel Live! remains unclear, but both ABC and its affiliates are signaling a significant shake-up in late-night television.
What Does ABC Mean by ‘Pre-Empted Indefinitely’ for Kimmel?
ABC declined to elaborate any further on the matter, but a spokesperson said Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be “pre-empted indefinitely,” meaning that the late-night show has been stalled from airing for now.
What Did Jimmy Kimmel Say About Charlie Kirk? His Comments
Kimmel actually condemned the shooting of Kirk, which took place at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025.
“Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?” Kimmel wrote on Instagram after Kirk died. “On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence.”
What Did Jimmy Kimmel Say About Tyler Robinson?
After Tyler Robinson was named the primary suspect in Kirk’s murder, Kimmel said, “The MAGA Gang (is) 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. In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”
Why Was Jimmy Kimmel Suspended by ABC?
Kimmel was suspended because of his comments related to Robinson, Kirk’s suspected shooter. Brendan Carr, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, criticized Kimmel on Benny Johnson’s show.
“This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “Disney needs to see some change here, but the individual licensed stations that are taking their content, it’s time for them to step up and say this, you know, garbage to the extent that that’s what comes down the pipe in the future isn’t something that we think serves the needs of our local communities. … There’s calls for Kimmel to be fired. I think you could certainly see a path forward for suspension over this.”
