TV host Jimmy Kimmel and Disney are in talks to resume his late-night show, which was put on an indefinite halt due to controversial comments linked to US President Donald Trump and conservative leader Charlie Kirk’s death, according to a report by Variety citing people aware of the development.
Kimmel’s businesses and legal representatives are engaged in detailed negotiations with Disney and ABC, attempting to reach a compromise that would permit “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to continue its 23rd season.
Whether the two parties are close to reaching a resolution remains unclear.
Kimmel is reportedly worried about what a permanent cancellation would mean for his crew in Los Angeles, who work on the show, many of whom are still trying to recover financially from the actors’ strike in 2023, the report said.
ABC had previously advised Kimmel to avoid making political comments, particularly those criticising President Trump.
“I don’t think their political beliefs conflicted with mine, but if you want to have a big audience, you don’t want to offend a lot of people off,” Kimmel told Howie Mandel on Thursday.
The TV host’s show is currently on an indefinite break following his controversial comments about Kirk’s killing.
What is the controversy about?
On Monday, the 57-year-old comedian made the claim during his opening monologue that alleged killer Tyler Robinson was a supporter of Donald Trump, despite authorities stating that he held a “leftist ideology”.
“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,” Kimmel said.
After 30 years on air, the show was finally axed on Wednesday, and Kimmel has so far dodged numerous requests to apologise.
On Thursday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr cautioned that TV networks holding licences, such as ABC, NBC, and CBS, have a duty to serve the public interest. He argued that Kimmel had failed to do so by “appearing to directly mislead the American public.”
