[Watch] Jimmy Fallon Cracks Up Fans With Hilarious Take on Jimmy Kimmel’s Suspension
ABC has pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air, saying the show will not return for now. The move comes after a backlash over comments Kimmel made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was recently killed.
Reports say the Federal Communications Commission pressured the network before the suspension was announced.
In a short statement, ABC said only that the program would be “pre-empted indefinitely.” No details were shared about when or if it might come back. The fallout spread quickly, with Nexstar, one of the biggest owners of ABC stations, confirming it would no longer run the late-night program.
Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns two dozen ABC affiliates, went further, saying Kimmel’s time slot would instead air a tribute to Kirk. Sinclair also pushed for Kimmel to apologize to Kirk’s family and make a donation to both them and Turning Point USA, the group Kirk started.
The suspension sparked big reactions across the TV world. Jimmy Fallon spoke about it on his own show and shared a video clip on Instagram.
He joked about the confusion between him and Kimmel, saying: “This morning I woke up to 100 text messages from my dad saying I’m sorry they cancelled your show. I go, that’s not me, that’s Jimmy Kimmel.” Fallon also said he didn’t know what would happen next but defended his fellow host. “I do know Jimmy Kimmel, and he’s a decent, funny, and loving guy, and I hope he comes back.”
Fallon also touched on the worry that late-night comedy might be censored after this incident. “Yeah, a lot of people are worried that we won’t keep saying what we want to say or that we’ll be censored, but I’m going to cover the president’s trip to the UK just like I normally would.” He then moved on to his usual humor, joking about Donald Trump’s recent visit to Britain and poking fun at his looks and public image.
Jimmy reacts to ABC’s decision to suspend @JimmyKimmel after pressure from the FCC, leaving everyone thinking WTF? #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/v5wLrPEAOM
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) September 19, 2025
The controversy began after Kimmel’s comments about Trump drew heavy criticism, since Kimmel said nothing about Kirk himself. On September 17, ABC, owned by Disney, confirmed the suspension. With both Nexstar and Sinclair making changes to their schedules, the future of Kimmel’s late-night show is unclear. So far, no timeline or conditions for its return have been given.
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