Jimmy Kimmel Live! was replaced by a repeat of Celebrity Family Feud on Wednesday night (September 17) after ABC pulled the late-night show over comments Jimmy Kimmel made about the Charlie Kirk shooting.
Earlier on Wednesday, a spokesperson for Disney’s ABC announced that the late-night talk show would be on indefinite hiatus following comments Kimmel made about Kirk, the conservative activist who was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10.
The comments people appeared to take offense to were made on Monday’s (September 15) show, when Kimmel said of the alleged shooter, “The MAGA Gang (is) 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.”
ABC made the decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! after powerful station group Nexstar announced it would preempt the show on its 32 ABC affiliate stations. Sinclair Broadcast Group later announced it would be doing the same on its own affiliate stations.
Late Wednesday, a memo was sent to the owners of ABC’s more than 150 affiliate station partners, according to Variety. The memo stated that the network would be airing reruns of Celebrity Family Feud in the 11:35 pm slot on Wednesday and Thursday (September 18) in place of Kimmel’s show. “Formal guidance from Disney/ABC is forthcoming,” the memo also noted.
Per Variety, a source close to the situation claims that the network has not yet made a formal decision about the future of the long-running late-night program. Conversations between executives and Kimmel and his representatives were said to be ongoing throughout Wednesday.
It’s unclear whether Kimmel’s show will return on Friday (September 19) or if ABC will air other programming in its place. Sinclair announced it will be airing a special Kirk tribute show on its ABC affiliate stations on Friday and has also encouraged Kimmel to make a “direct apology” and “meaningful personal donation” to the Kirk family.
“Sinclair will not lift the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on our stations until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability,” the company said in a press release. “Sinclair also calls upon Mr. Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family. Furthermore, we ask Mr. Kimmel to make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA.”
The company is also offering its Kirk tribute special to all other ABC stations across the country.
After the news broke on Wednesday, many viewers and fellow celebrities spoke out against ABC’s move, with some saying it went against free speech and others leveling accusations of “corruption.”
The move comes as Nexstar is pushing for the FCC to change its limits on TV station ownership, which would allow it to acquire rival station group, Tegna. The FCC is currently led by veteran Republican member Brendan Carr, who was hand-picked by President Donald Trump last year.