Ben Stiller, Mark Hamill and Sen. Chuck Schumer were among the prominent figures applauding Jimmy Kimmel’s return to ABC on Monday.
While the “Star Wars” screen icon predicted a “meltdown” from President Donald Trump on Truth Social, Stiller did a clapping hands emoji and Schumer said, “This is about fighting for free speech and against these abuses by Donald Trump and Brendan Carr.”
Kimmel is officially set to return to ABC on Tuesday after being suspended Wednesday for comments he made about Charlie Kirk’s alleged shooter Tyler Robinson and his ties to the Republican Party. The internet was quick to respond to the unexpected announcement, with many celebrating the news as a win for free speech.
The decision to put “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” back on the air came after widespread boycotting of Disney and its ABC network, along with an open letter to the ACLU signed by over 400 Hollywood luminaries, including Tom Hanks and Jennifer Aniston.
One of the first few to respond to Kimmel’s comeback was Stiller, who was vocal about Kimmel’s suspension last week, previously saying, “This isn’t right.”
“Pod Save America” co-host Jon Favreau, meanwhile, was a bit more explicit in his assessment of Kimmel’s return, calling out U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr. The FCC chair threatened ABC last week if it didn’t take action against Kimmel, and continued to threaten shows like “The View” over anti-Trump criticisms.
“Eat s–t, Brendan Carr,” Favreau wrote.
Not everyone was celebrating, however. Conservative media voices like Megyn Kelly and Piers Morgan were more muted in their response to Kimmel’s return. Kelly, who’s criticized Kimmel’s Charlie Kirk-MAGA remarks, retweeted an X post from podcaster Stephen L. Miller bemoaning the popular liberal complaint that the late-night host’s pause was due to fascistic pressure from the White House.
“Worst fascism ever,” the quote-tweet read, sarcastically.
Morgan responded with a statement of his own, emphasizing that Kimmel wasn’t “canceled” by Trump or the FCC but “temporarily suspended” by his employer.
On Sept. 17, ABC suspended Kimmel for criticizing the response by “the MAGA gang” to Kirk’s assassination. The decision came after Carr spoke out earlier that day against the late-night host and his network, and Nexstar soon stated that they would cease airing “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” “indefinitely.”
Another affiliate owner, Sinclair, has stated that a suspension wasn’t enough. They demanded an apology from the host, along with donations to Kirk’s Turning Point USA organization before they begin airing “Kimmel” again.
Many more weighed in on social media Monday upon Kimmel’s announced return. Many celebrated while others shared their theories on what ultimately brokered the deal for his homecoming. Some pointed out that the entire ordeal will only earn Kimmel a boost in ratings.
Check out the varied responses below.
