ABC did suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live indefinitely following remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, though the network lifted the suspension shortly afterward and the show returned to the air within days.
Mostly True
ABC pulls Jimmy Kimmel Live off air indefinitely over Charlie Kirk comments.
FactVerify
Source: factverify.com
At a glance
Verified November 7, 2026Key Evidence
ABC initially announced an indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live following controversial remarks made by the host about Charlie Kirk.
Major broadcast station groups including Nexstar and Sinclair pulled the program from their local lineups before the network suspension was lifted.
The network reversed the suspension less than two weeks later, allowing the program to return to the air on September 23, 2025.
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
In September 2025, late night host Jimmy Kimmel addressed the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during his monologue. The remarks drew immediate public controversy, intense political backlash, and local preemption decisions from major broadcast station groups such as Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group, which dropped the program from their lineups.latimes.comlatimes.comJimmy Kimmel Abc Free Speech Bloomberg Trump Charlie KirkAffiliate Pressure & FCC Factor: Major broadcast station groups, including Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group, pulled the show from their local ABC-affiliated stations, deeming Kimmel's remarks offensive and contrary to the... Following the outcry, ABC initially announced an indefinite suspension of the program.
theguardian.comtheguardian.comJimmy Kimmel Live Suspended Indefinitely After Hosts Charlie Kirk Comments"indefinitely" Conversely, the suspension triggered intense national backlash and debate over free speech, with entertainment unions, constitutional scholars, and free-speech advocates condemning the move as capitulation to government and...+1 more
However, the indefinite characterization was short lived. On September 22, 2025, ABC announced that the suspension was ending and that the late night show would resume production, returning to the air the following day.pbs.orgpbs.orgAbc Ends Jimmy Kimmels Suspension Says his Late Night Show Will Return Tuesday*, host Jimmy Kimmel addressed the September 10 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk On September 22, 2025, ABC announced that the show would resume production, returning to air on Tuesday, September 23—meaning the... Although certain local affiliate groups maintained preemptions on their specific station blocks even after the network cleared the return, the overall network suspension lasted less than two weeks.
cbsnews.comcbsnews.comNexstar Jimmy Kimmel Live Preempt Abc Sinclair Charlie KirkHowever, certain affiliate groups like Nexstar and Sinclair maintained local preemptions on their specific station blocks following its return
Primary trail
Verified Sources11
Open source
Jimmy Kimmel Live Suspended Indefinitely After Hosts Charlie Kirk Comments
Charlie Kirk Comments Jimmy Kimmel Show Fired Abc
Transparency
Revision history
- Version 2November 9, 2026
While ABC initially pulled 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' off the air indefinitely in September 2025 following remarks about Charlie Kirk, the network subsequently lifted the suspension and the show returned to the air on September 23, 2025. This development updates the ongoing status from an open-ended indefinite suspension to a resolved short-term suspension, warranting a context update while maintaining the core truth of the initial action.
True → Mostly True - Version 1September 17, 2025
Initial published version
True