John Cleese and Piers Morgan have clashed on social media over the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Live.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, it was announced that the late night talk show had been pulled from the ABC Network<\/a>, which is owned by Disney<\/a>, over Kimmel\u2019s comments following the murder of Charlie Kirk.<\/p>\n Right-wing activist Kirk was\u00a0shot in the neck and killed<\/a>\u00a0at Utah Valley University campus on September 10, and, following the incident, Kimmel said that all signs pointed to Kirk\u2019s shooter being a\u00a0Trump<\/a>\u00a0supporter.<\/p>\n \u201cWe hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterise this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it,\u201d he said in his Monday night monologue.<\/p>\n The subsequent fallout saw the show taken off-air indefinitely, a move that sparked a strong response from either side of the political spectrum.<\/p>\n Jimmy Kimmel lied about Charlie Kirk\u2019s assassin being MAGA, this caused understandable outrage all over America, prompted TV station owners to say they wouldn\u2019t air him, and he\u2019s now been suspended by his employers. Why is he being heralded as some kind of free speech martyr?<\/p>\n \u2014 Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Morgan reacted to the news by posting on X on Tuesday (September 16): \u201cJimmy Kimmel lied about Charlie Kirk\u2019s assassin being MAGA, this caused understandable outrage all over America, prompted TV station owners to say they wouldn\u2019t air him, and he\u2019s now been suspended by his employers. Why is he being heralded as some kind of free speech martyr?\u201d<\/p>\n US politician Joe Walsh replied to the post, arguing that Morgan had \u201cmissed the point\u201d, prompting Monty Python and Fawlty Towers legend Cleese to write: \u201cThis from Piers Morgan. Who has made a fortune working for Rupert Murdoch.\u201d<\/p>\n This from Piers Morgan. who has made a fortune working for Rupert Murdoch https:\/\/t.co\/TNd4geJkDm<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 John Cleese (@JohnCleese) September 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Morgan responded to Cleese by posting: \u201cYou took Rupert\u2019s money too, you flaming old hypocrite. I\u2019m just proud of it.\u201d<\/p>\n You took Rupert\u2019s money too, you flaming old hypocrite. \u2014 Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Hostilities continued on Wednesday, with Cleese writing: \u201cI see Piers Morgan says he\u2019s proud to have worked with Rupert Murdoch, the man who had done more to contaminate Britain\u2019s journalism than anyone else. Tells us all we need to know about Piers, whose only talent is associating himself with people much better known than himself.\u201d<\/p>\n I see Piers Morgan says he’s proud to have worked with Rupert Murdoch, the man who had done more to contaminate Britain’s journalism than anyone else<\/p>\n Tells us all we need to know about Piers, whose only talent is associating himself with people much better known than himself<\/p>\n \u2014 John Cleese (@JohnCleese) September 19, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Morgan replied with three laughing emojis, writing: \u201ca) Rupert\u2019s much nicer than you.. even your fellow Pythons loathe you. b) I\u2019m way more famous than you, which is why I have nearly twice as many followers.\u201d<\/p>\n \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23a) Rupert\u2019s much nicer than you.. even your fellow Pythons loathe you. b) I\u2019m way more famous than you, which is why I have nearly twice as many followers. https:\/\/t.co\/a9CzB4PQZK<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n It is now believed that Kimmel\u2019s business and legal representatives are in discussions with Disney and ABC executives<\/a> in the hope of reaching a compromise that would allow for the return of Jimmy Kimmel Live.<\/p>\n While the move to cancel the show has been\u00a0celebrated by President Trump<\/a>, with whom the host has had a long-running feud, many in the entertainment industry have spoken out against the suspension.\u00a0Almost all of Hollywood\u2019s prominent creative guilds have condemned the decision<\/a>, while\u00a0fellow late-night legends Stephen Colbert and David Letterman have also spoken out,<\/a>\u00a0voicing concerns over free speech.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m just proud of it. https:\/\/t.co\/2XiuqpE3mY<\/a><\/p>\n