UPDATED with latest: Following ABC‘s shocking decision to indefinitely pull Jimmy Kimmel Live, Hollywood and media personalities are calling out the network on social media.
With Kimmel becoming the latest after Stephen Colbert and Matthew Dowd to suffer similar a fate, supporters are speaking out about ABC’s announcement that the late-night show will be “preempted indefinitely,” following the FCC‘s warning about his Charlie Kirk comments.
President Donald Trump wasted no time in celebrating the demise of Jimmy Kimmel Live, also putting Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers on notice.
“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Meanwhile, an overwhelming majority of social media posts called out ABC’s decision as an attack on free speech, including California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Buying and controlling media platforms. Firing commentators. Canceling shows. These aren’t coincidences. It’s coordinated. And it’s dangerous,” he wrote on X. “The @GOP does not believe in free speech. They are censoring you in real time.”
Buying and controlling media platforms.
Firing commentators.
Canceling shows.
These aren’t coincidences.
It’s coordinated. And it’s dangerous.
The @GOP does not believe in free speech.
They are censoring you in real time.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 17, 2025
“This is the actual cancel culture everyone claims to hate so much,” wrote The Paper‘s Alex Edelman on X.
Wanda Sykes noted in an Instagram Reel that she was “in a full face of makeup” because she was supposed to appear on the show, “but as you have heard by now, the Jimmy Kimmel show has been pulled indefinitely, abruptly because of complaints by the Trump administration.”
“Let’s see, he didn’t end the Ukraine War or solve Gaza within his first week,” added Sykes. “But he did end freedom of speech within his first year. Hey, for those of you who pray, now’s the time to do it. Love you, Jimmy.”
Jean Smart, who appeared with Kimmel on Season 4 of Hacks, wrote, “I am horrified at the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Live. What Jimmy said was FREE speech, not hate speech. People seem to only want to protect free speech when it suits THEIR agenda. Though I didn’t agree at ALL with Charlie Kirk; his shooting death sickened me; and should have sickened any decent human being. What is happening to our country?”
James Woods offered a less mature response. “We’ve all made jokes at Jimmy Kimmel’s expense. But Mr. Kimmel is a fellow artist, and I am in fact heartbroken to see the way he has been treated. I believe he is, in his heart of hearts, a good and decent fellow, devoid of malice and hate. Just kidding, Jimbo. Eat shit,” he wrote on X.
Ben Stiller simply wrote, “This isn’t right.”
“We can’t be there yet, the point of no return. The point at which we can’t see our neighbor’s humanity. I don’t ever want to be there!” wrote Octavia Spencer in a post.
“Standing with you @jimmykimmellive,” wrote Pedro Pascal on Instagram. “Defend #FreeSpeech Defend #DEMOCRACY”
Kerry Washington wrote on Instagram, “@jimmykimmel, you’ve supported me, my work, and my voice for years, and I’m endlessly grateful for your friendship, partnership, the laughter, and encouragement. Now it’s my turn to stand with and for you. Your immense kindness, integrity and generosity inspire everyone around you. What’s happening to you, and across late night is not just unfair, it’s unjust. Silencing voices like yours and @stephenathome goes far beyond just entertainment; it threatens freedom of speech, an independent press, and ultimately, our democracy. You are not alone. I stand with you, my friend. Always.”
Michael Keaton shared a handwritten note that read, “ABC, NBC, CBS, stand up!!! Stand the f— up!!!”
The Daily Show‘s Michael Kosta pointed to the First Amendment on his Instagram Story, writing, “This is a serious moment in American history. TV networks MUST push back. This is complete BS.”
Mike Birbiglia wrote, “I’ve spent a lot of time in public + private defending comedians I don’t agree with. If you’re a comedian + you don’t call out the insanity of pulling Kimmel off the air — don’t bother spouting off about free speech anymore.”
Chris Hayes, whose MSNBC colleague Dowd was recently fired over comments about Kirk, also spoke up. “This is the most straightforward attack on free speech from state actors I’ve ever seen in my life and it’s not even close,” he wrote on X.
Don Lemon said in a video shared on Facebook, “They’re trying to cancel Jimmy Kimmel. I’m sure you’ve heard the news by now, but I’ve been going through the internet, looking for the clips to see what they’re mad or upset about, and I can’t find it. The one that they have on there, I don’t see where that’s even controversial. The guy’s comedian. This is the same party, the same group of people who complained about, ‘Everything is too woke! Comedians can’t say anything anymore! They’re killing comedy!’ The folks who are complaining about killing comedy are killing comedy. The folks who are complaining about cancelling people are cancelling people. What does that tell you? That they don’t believe in anything that they’re saying, that they’ve said, that they have no core. All it is, is if it doesn’t fit their particular ideology or belief, they don’t wanna hear it. And that’s the moment that we’re in now, this is a very dangerous and scary moment for America.”
“EVERY CORPORATION IS INSTANTLY FOLDING TO THE ADMIN EVEN WHEN ITS OVER AN UTTERLY INOFFENSIVE JOKE THE ADMIN DOESNT LIKE!” wrote Hasan Piker on X. “LIBERALS NEED TO WAKE UP!!!! WE ALL HAVE TO FIGHT BACK, THESE WEALTHY ASSHOLES ARENT GOING TO STAND UP FOR ANYTHING BEYOND THEIR BOTTOM LINE!”
The WGA said in a statement, “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.
“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,” they added.
The stunning dropping of Kimmel comes mere minutes after Nexstar axed his late night show on the 32 ABC affiliates it owns out of a total of 200 stations throughout the nation.
“Nexstar’s owned and partner television stations affiliated with the ABC Television Network will preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the foreseeable future beginning with tonight’s show,” said the company in a statement Wednesday. “Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”
Known for his ‘Prove Me Wrong’ debates and MAGA POV, activist Kirk was shot dead at Utah Valley University on September 10 in a tragedy that has sent shock through the political and media worlds.
Having previously mocked Trump over POTUS’ take on the NFL and TikTok, Kimmel offered his blunt assessment of the aftermath of Kirk’s death in his opening monologue on his September 15 show: “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,” the host said.