Amanda Abbington, Ben Stiller, and a number of other famous faces have spoken out in solidarity with talk show host Jimmy Kimmel after ABC pulled his late-night programme from the airwaves indefinitely.
The decision by the network came after the presenter suggested during Monday’s broadcast that Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer could have been a President Trump supporter.
The network confirmed the suspension on Wednesday, with a spokesperson stating the show would be “pre-empted indefinitely.”
The decision followed threats from Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr, who warned of potential regulatory action against the network and its affiliates.
Jimmy Kimmel had his show pulled on Wednesday
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Nexstar Media Group, which owns 28 ABC affiliates across America, announced it would stop broadcasting the programme immediately, citing Mr Kimmel’s remarks as “offensive and insensitive.”
During his Monday monologue, Mr Kimmel addressed the killing of conservative activist Kirk, who was fatally shot while giving a presentation at Utah Valley University on September 10.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the Maga gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Mr Kimmel told his audience.
The 22-year-old suspect, Tyler Robinson, has been charged with capital murder. Prosecutors indicate he held leftist political views, contradicting Mr Kimmel’s characterisation.
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Jimmy Kimmel: Ben Stiller was one of the first stars to speak out
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Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed on NBC’s Meet the Press that whilst Mr Robinson came from a conservative family, “his ideology was very different than his family.”
Nexstar’s broadcasting president, Andrew Alford, announced the company would not air Wednesday night’s episode and would continue the pre-emption for the foreseeable future.
“Mr Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located,” Mr Alford stated.
The suspension sparked immediate condemnation from entertainment and political figures across social media platforms. However, there was one man who wasted no time in celebrating the news.
President Trump celebrated on Truth Social, writing: “Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”
However, several famous faces felt differently. In the UK, former Strictly star and Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington took to Instagram to repost a statement from the union, Sag-Aftra, condemning the suspension.
Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night TV show was ‘pulled indefinitely’ over his claims
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ABC
Elsewhere, Hollywood comedy actor Ben Stiller wrote simply on X: “This isn’t right.”
Batman star Michael Keaton, who’d caused controversy himself with his opinions on Mr Kirk’s death, shared a handwritten message reading: “ABC, NBC, CBS, stand up!!! Stand the f— up!!!”
Jimmy Kimmel: Amanda Abbington showed solidarity with the talk show host
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And comedian Mike Birbiglia said on social media: “I’ve spent a lot of time in public + private defending comedians I don’t agree with.
“If you’re a comedian + you don’t call out the insanity of pulling Kimmel off the air don’t bother spouting off about free speech anymore.” (sic)