Bill O’Reilly suggested Jimmy Kimmel’s “expectant widow” joke could cost Disney a pretty penny once everything is all said and done.
During Wednesday’s episode of “No Spin News,” the conservative commentator weighed in on the FCC demanding an early review of Disney’s broadcast licenses amid the Kimmel drama. While O’Reilly felt that it wasn’t “going to go anywhere,” he did predict that Disney would feel the impact of the drama in their bank account.
“This is just socking it to — an old ’60s expression — the Disney company. The courts will protect Disney,” O’Reilly said. “Now, I did some investigating, as I told you guys I would, of why Disney has not cut Kimmel loose … [because] if a conservative commentator or pundit or comedian or anybody is doing what Kimmel is doing, they’re gone. Everybody knows it. They couldn’t survive.”
As O’Reilly went on, he alleged that Hollywood agencies have warned Disney to leave Kimmel alone, supposedly threatening a boycott of their talent if the late night host is punished.
“That’s the threat,” O’Reilly said. “That’s what keeps Kimmel in his job.”
Representatives for Disney did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
The veteran journalist also called out the statement from the National Religious Broadcasters, who filed a complaint with the FCC against Disney.
“Here’s what it says: ‘When influential voices joke about death or treat political opponents as disposable, it contributes to a culture where violence feels thinkable to the already unstable. National platforms carry real weight,” he said. “‘With that comes responsibility. That’s why this action is warranted.’”
He continued: “So, summing up, Disney’s going to feel it. Doesn’t look to me like they’re going to cave. But, I’ll tell you what, [it’s] going to cost them maybe a billion dollars to defend. And, you know, President Trump’s not going to back away from this. And Kimmel will just go on doing what Kimmel does — selling hatred.” Watch his comments below.
O’Reilly’s comments came one day after the FCC asked Disney’s eight local ABC broadcast stations to apply for an early renewal for broadcast licenses, a rare move that increases government pressure on the company. The demand came amid Melania and Donald Trump’s calls for Kimmel’s termination over last week’s mock White House Correspondents’ Dinner speech, in which he called the first lady an “expectant widow.”
A spokesperson for Disney told TheWrap that it believes “ABC and its stations have a long record of operating in full compliance with FCC rules and serving their local communities with trusted news, emergency information, and public‑interest programming.”
“We are confident that record demonstrates our continued qualifications as licensees under the Communications Act and the First Amendment and are prepared to show that through the appropriate legal channels,” the statement read. “Our focus remains, as always, on serving viewers in the local communities where our stations operate.”
