In separate statements, the unions representing Hollywood actors, writers and the musicians who perform on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” hotly condemned ABC’s decision to suspend the show in response to conservative uproar over comments Kimmel made related to Charlie Kirk.
“Our society depends on freedom of expression. Suppression of free speech and retaliation for speaking out on significant issues of public concern run counter to the fundamental rights we all rely on,” SAG-AFTRA said Wednesday night.
“Democracy thrives when diverse points of view are expressed. The decision to suspend airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! is the type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone’s freedoms,” the statement continued. “SAG-AFTRA stands with all media artists and defends their right to express their diverse points of view, and everyone’s right to hear them.”
In its own statement, the Writers Guild of America said, “The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other – to disturb, even – is at the very heart of what it means to be a free people. It is not to be denied. Not by violence, not by the abuse of governmental power, nor by acts of corporate cowardice.”
“As a Guild, we stand united in opposition to anyone who uses their power and influence to silence the voices of writers, or anyone who speaks in dissent. If free speech applied only to ideas we like, we needn’t have bothered to write it into the Constitution. What we have signed on to – painful as it may be at times – is the freeing agreement to disagree,” the statement continued.
“Shame on those in government who forget this founding truth. As for our employers, our words have made you rich. Silencing us impoverishes the whole world. The WGA stands with Jimmy Kimmel and his writers.”
The American Federation of Musicians was less tactful, declaring that by suspending Kimmel, ABC participated in “state censorship” and in “a direct attack on free speech” by the Trump administration.
“This is not complicated: Trump’s FCC identified speech it did not like and threatened ABC with extreme reprisals. This is state censorship. It’s now happening in the United States of America, not some far-off country. It’s happening right here and right now,” AFM president Tino Gagliardi said.
“This act by the Trump Administration represents a direct attack on free speech and artistic expression. These are fundamental rights that we must protect in a free society. The American Federation of Musicians strongly condemns the decision to take ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ off the air,” the statement continued.
“We stand in solidarity with all those who will be without work because of government overreach,” it concluded.
Kimmel’s show was “pre-empted indefinitely” by ABC on Wednesday afternoon, in response to uproar over comments Kimmel made about the man who killed Charlie Kirk.
About Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old now facing trial for Kirk’s murder, Kimmel said in his monologue on Monday, “we hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Kimmel’s assumption that Robinson was part of the political right turned out to be incorrect, but at the time he made the comment, all available evidence that was public pointed in that direction. On Tuesday however, more details were made public that at minimum made it clear Robinson wasn’t motivated by right wing politics, held potentially left-political beliefs and was apparently motivated by more personal concerns. Though many questions remain unanswered.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, appearing on a conservative podcast, threatened parent company Disney and demanded Kimmel be suspended or fired. “We can do this the hard way or the easy way,” Carr literally said at one point.
Soon after Nexstar and Sinclair, two of the largest network affiliate owners in the country, both said they would stop airing “Kimmel” indefinitely. Shortly thereafter, ABC announced Kimmel’s suspension.
While conservatives are celebrating the suspension, WGA and AFM are far from the only critics. Gavin Newsom, Ben Stiller, the ACLU and more have spoken out against it.
