Jimmy Kimmel Live! was not announced as permanently canceled. After Kimmel’s September 15, 2025, monologue about reactions to Charlie Kirk’s killing, ABC said the program would be pre-empted indefinitely, while station owners Nexstar and Sinclair made separate decisions to stop airing it. Disney later announced the show’s return, but those affiliate decisions did not immediately change.
What did Jimmy Kimmel say about Charlie Kirk?
Kirk was killed on September 10, 2025. In his September 15 monologue, Kimmel criticized what he described as efforts by people in MAGA circles to portray Kirk’s killer as outside their movement and to score political points from the killing. The remarks—and the response to them—became the immediate context for the broadcast decisions that followed. CBS News and the Associated Press reported on the comments and suspension.
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“Divisive” describes the disagreement over the remarks; it is not a neutral finding about what Kimmel intended. Nexstar characterized them as offensive and insensitive. Disney later said some comments were ill-timed and insensitive. On returning to the show, Kimmel said he did not intend to make light of Kirk’s murder or blame a particular group, while acknowledging that some viewers had heard the remarks that way.
Why was the show suspended?
There was not one action by a single decision-maker. Nexstar and Sinclair, owners of station groups that carry ABC programming, announced they would stop airing the program on their stations. On September 17, ABC said Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be “pre-empted indefinitely.” ABC’s wording meant an indefinite interruption, not an announcement that the show had been permanently canceled.
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Nexstar’s stated reason
Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, called Kimmel’s comments “offensive and insensitive” and said the company did not believe they reflected the range of views or values in the local communities where its stations operated. Nexstar said it did not believe continuing the broadcast was in the public interest at that time.
A Nexstar spokesperson told CBS News that the decision to preempt the show was made unilaterally by the company’s senior executive team, with no prior communication with the FCC or another government agency. That is Nexstar’s account of its decision.
The FCC’s role and what is established
Before ABC’s announcement, FCC Chair Brendan Carr publicly discussed possible remedies and a path to suspension. Carr said: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
The sequence is relevant, but the cited reporting does not establish that the FCC ordered ABC to suspend the show. Carr’s comments, Nexstar’s account of its decision, and Disney’s later explanation are distinct statements; they should not be treated as proof of one shared motive.
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Was Jimmy Kimmel Live! canceled or suspended?
It was suspended from ABC’s schedule, not publicly declared permanently canceled. ABC described the program as “pre-empted indefinitely” on September 17. On September 22, Disney said it had decided to bring the show back after conversations with Kimmel. The program returned on September 23.
Disney described its earlier production suspension as an effort “to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.” The company said it felt some of Kimmel’s comments were “ill-timed and thus insensitive.” Those were Disney’s stated reasons; they do not change the distinction between an indefinite preemption and a permanent cancellation.
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What did Kimmel say when the show returned?
In his return monologue, Kimmel said: “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.” He said he had not intended to blame a specific group and acknowledged that some viewers understood his remarks differently.
He also said: “I don’t think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone. This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution. And it isn’t — ever.” ABC News reported on the return monologue and its context in its September 24, 2025, account.
Did ABC affiliates bring the show back?
Not all at once. Disney’s September 22 announcement addressed the show’s return, but ABC News reported during return week that Sinclair and Nexstar affiliates were still preempting it. A network decision to resume production and air the program did not automatically reverse separate station-owner carriage decisions.
Where could viewers watch it during return week?
ABC News reported in September 2025 that full episodes were available the next day on Hulu and Disney+, with clips on YouTube. Those details describe availability during the show’s return week, not a verified current catalog or local broadcast status. Check the services and local listings for present-day availability.
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