Politicians and Celebrities Weigh In on Jimmy Kimmel’s Return to Late Night

 

Politicians and Celebrities Weigh In on Jimmy Kimmel’s Return to Late Night

 

Some celebrated ABC’s decision to rescind the show’s suspension, while others criticized it.

 

Alexandra E. PetriLivia Albeck-Ripka

By Alexandra E. Petri and Livia Albeck-Ripka

Sept. 22, 2025

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/22/us/jimmy-kimmel-show-return-reactions.html

 

Entertainers, politicians and media personalities weighed in on Monday about ABC’s decision to return “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to television on Tuesday, with some celebrating the decision as a victory for free speech, while others said the suspension was too short.

 

The announcement that ABC was bringing back the show came just days after the network said it was suspending it. Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, had criticized comments made by its host, Jimmy Kimmel, about the assassination of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Critics of the suspension saw it as a threat to Americans’ constitutional rights, while other described the move as long overdue.

 

The announcement on Monday that the show would return to the air reignited that debate, as reactions to the news poured in.

 

In a post on X, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, a Democrat, expressed gratitude to “everyone but @BrendanCarrFCC,” tagging Mr. Carr in the post.

 

“This is a win for free speech everywhere,” Mr. Newsom wrote.

 

Senator Chuck Schumer of New York said in a post on X that Mr. Kimmel’s return was about fighting for the First Amendment rights and “against these abuses by Donald Trump and Brendan Carr.”

 

Anna M. Gomez, the sole Democratic commissioner of the F.C.C., who condemned the move in a letter published last week, applauded Disney for “its courage in the face of clear government intimidation.”

 

“More importantly, I want to thank those Americans from across the ideological spectrum who spoke loudly and courageously against this blatant attempt to silence free speech,” Ms. Gomez said in a statement.

 

Not everyone saw Mr. Kimmel’s return to late night as a victory.

 

Megyn Kelly, the former Fox News anchor turned YouTube host, said in a post on X that it “must be nice to be a leftist. ‘Cancellation’ lasts 5 nights and you’re right back under klieg lights,” Ms. Kelly said. “On the right you’re underground.”

 

Matt Walsh, a conservative commentator, echoed Ms. Kelly’s comments.

 

“Kimmel’s show was put on pause for like 3 days and yet leftists will look us dead in the eyes and tell us that this was a greater attack on free speech than shooting and killing Charlie Kirk,” Mr. Walsh wrote in a post on X.

 

Earlier Monday, more than 500 actors, comedians, directors, musicians and writers joined the American Civil Liberties Union in publishing an open letter describing the decision to cancel Mr. Kimmel’s show as unconstitutional and un-American. Signatories included Laura Dern, Ariana Grande, Tiffany Haddish, Ron Howard, John Mulaney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sean Penn, Ryan Reynolds, Barbra Streisand and Channing Tatum.

 

“We can rest assured this won’t be the administration’s last attempt to pressure private companies into punishing employees for speech it does not like,” Anthony D. Romero, the executive director of American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement after the announcement of Mr. Kimmel’s return. “Let this be a lesson to companies who consider caving: We the people are watching, and we’ll remember who stood strong in defense of free expression, and who followed the federal government’s bidding.”

 

The actor and director Ben Stiller celebrated the news with three raised hands emojis.

 

Livia Albeck-Ripka is a Times reporter based in Los Angeles, covering breaking news, California and other subjects.