
The Digest:
ABC has suspended late-night host Jimmy Kimmel indefinitely following remarks made about the shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, igniting fierce debates over free speech and media responsibility. According to BBC reporting, the decision has drawn praise from political figures and backlash from entertainment industry peers.
Key Points
- Kimmel suggested the “MAGA gang” was politicizing Kirk’s death during his Monday monologue.
- ABC, owned by Disney, preempted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” indefinitely pending review.
- President Trump celebrated the suspension, calling it “great news for America.”
- Prominent Hollywood figures, including Ben Stiller and Jamie Lee Curtis, condemned the move as censorship.
- FCC Chair Brendan Carr applauded affiliate networks for dropping the show, calling Kimmel’s comments “sick.”
- Major ABC affiliates, including Nexstar and Sinclair, halted airings, replacing them with tributes to Kirk.
- Unions, including WGA and SAG-AFTRA, denounced the suspension as an attack on free speech.
The suspension underscores deepening cultural and political divisions, testing the boundaries of speech, power, and accountability in modern media.
Sources: BBC