The Real Story Behind Jimmy Kimmel's Firing

ABC executives told Kimmel to go on-air and apologize... but instead, he planned to DOUBLE DOWN.

This article originally appeared on ZeroHedge and was republished with permission.

Guest post by Tyler Durden

After Wednesday's decision by Disney / ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for lying about the suspect in Charlie Kirk's assassination, the left (the architects of cancel culture) exploded with rage - saying that Kimmel's firing was because major affiliate Nexstar needs the FCC to sign off on its $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna.

To recap, during Kimmel's opening monologue on Monday, he suggested that Tyler Robinson - the 22-year-old charged in the fatal shooting at Utah University - was aligned with conservatives. “The MAGA gang [is] desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them."

By Wednesday, he was fired - leading to cries of censorship and 'free speech' by the left, which is hilarious.

Yet, according to an insider report by the Wall Street Journal, Kimmel's ouster was prompted by an immediate revolt by viewers and affiliate networks including Nexstar, and concerned advertisers.

Advertisers and affiliates soon called the network expressing concern about Kimmel’s show... -WSJ

"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," said Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar's broadcasting division. "Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time, and we have made the difficult decision to preempt his show."

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr blasted Kimmel on Wednesday, telling podcaster Benny Johnson that Kimmel's comments were "truly sick," and that there's a "strong case" for legal action against both ABC and Disney (ABC is a Disney subsidiary). "This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney," said Carr. "These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead."

Yet according to Nexstar, Carr's comments weren't a factor. "The decision to preempt ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ was made unilaterally by the senior executive team at Nexstar, and they had no communication with the FCC or any government agency prior to making that decision," a Nexstar spokesman said.

Disney executives weighed whether Kimmel should address the controversy directly on Wednesday night’s program. According to people familiar with the matter, Dana Walden, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, and Chief Executive Robert Iger decided his planned remarks risked inflaming the situation further.

After the conversation between Kimmel and Walden, she and other senior executives thought that the star’s approach could make the situation worse, people familiar with their conversations said. Executives also discussed staff safety, including threatening emails staff on Kimmel’s show had received after Carr’s remarks and the posting of some of their personal information online, the people said.

Walden huddled with her team and Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger before the two executives decided to temporarily take “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air, the people said. She then informed Kimmel of the decision. -WSJ

According to a person close to the show, Kimmel was planning to say that MAGA was purposefully twisting his words. So, another lie.

Industry and Political Response

Hollywood unions and producers criticized Disney’s move, calling it corporate capitulation. Damon Lindelof, co-creator of the ABC drama Lost, said he would not want to work for a company that sidelined Kimmel. Former late-night host David Letterman described the decision as “managed media” and warned of broader consequences.

“We all see where this is going, correct? It’s managed media. And it’s no good,” David Letterman, the former late-night host, said at an Atlantic magazine event Thursday.

Actor Ben Stiller said (and then blocked replies) "This isn't right," to which Elon Musk replied "He went full retard. Never go full retard."

Democratic lawmakers and former President Barack Obama accused the Trump administration of censorship, while Trump applauded the decision and urged other networks to follow. “They give me only bad press, but they’re getting a license,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Some media critics said Kimmel’s benching, coupled with CBS’s recent decision to cancel its late-night show hosted by frequent Trump critic Stephen Colbert when its season ends in May 2026, will lead shows to self-censor.

Kimmel’s removal comes as CBS prepares to sunset Stephen Colbert’s late-night program in 2026. Media critics say the combination of events could have a chilling effect on political commentary in late-night television.

“The degree of capitulation going forward will to some extent be a function of what kind of financial cudgel the administration has to wield,” said Lee Levine, a retired media lawyer. “Whenever the cudgel has been pretty significant, sooner or later the network caved in the recent past.”

For Disney, the choice to take Kimmel off the air was the product of overlapping political pressure, regulatory risk, affiliate revolt, and advertiser anxiety - a convergence that left little room for delay. By late Wednesday afternoon, the decision was made: Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be “preempted indefinitely.”

Of course, who was even watching?

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