Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk revealed that Sinclair Broadcasting Group asked her if they could help secure an apology from Jimmy Kimmel over comments he made about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
In an interview with Fox News, Kirk was asked by Jesse Watters what her message to Kimmel was after he “lied about your husband’s murder and didn’t really apologize.”
“Same thing I told Sinclair. They asked, I haven’t really told anybody this, so they asked, ‘do you want Jimmy to give you an apology? Do you want to be on a show? How can we make it right?’,” Kirk replied. “Through our team, I responded, I said, tell them thank you, we received their note. This is not our issue, not our mess. If you want to say I’m sorry to someone who’s grieving, go right ahead. But if that’s not in your heart, don’t do it. I don’t want it. I don’t need it.”
The comments from Kirk’s widow come after Sinclair temporarily pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in September. He would also be pulled by Nexstar Media Group and ABC.
At the time, Sinclair slammed the remarks as “inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country” and said Kimmel’s suspension was “not enough.” They demanded that Kimmel apologize and make a “meaningful personal donation” to the Kirk family and Turning Point USA. It also called for “formal discussions” with ABC regarding “the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.”
Following Kimmel’s return to ABC, he thanked Disney for bringing him back on the air, though he admitted he was “not happy” about their initial decision to suspend him. He also praised Erika Kirk for how she forgave her husband’s killer, while also calling out President Donald Trump and FCC chair Brendan Carr for their “direct violation” of the First Amendment for their part in the suspension saga.
But Sinclair and Nexstar continued to preempt the show as they held discussions with Disney. Following constructive discussions, both companies restored the late night program on their ABC affiliate stations. At the time, Sinclair noted that it proposed measures to “strengthen accountability, viewer feedback and community dialogue,” including a network-wide independent ombudsman.
“These proposals were suggested as collaborative efforts between the ABC affiliates and the ABC network,” the statement continued. “While ABC and Disney have not yet adopted these measures, and Sinclair respects their right to make those decisions under our network affiliate agreements, we believe such measures could strengthen trust and accountability.”
An insider familiar with the discussions previously told TheWrap that no editorial or content concessions were made.
ABC’s move wasn’t without consequences, leading to protests from writers and union members, calls to cancel Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ subscriptions and an open letter from the American Civil Liberties Union signed by over 400 artists condemning the suspension.
Per the research firm Antenna, Disney+ and Hulu cancellation rates doubled during Kimmel’s suspension. Consumer sentiment around Disney and Disney+ also fell among both Democrats and Republicans, per the investment bank Jefferies’ analysis of Morning Consult data.
Disney will reveal just how much Kimmel impacted its bottom line when it releases its fourth quarter earnings for 2025 on Nov. 10.
