{"id":178064,"date":"2025-09-24T07:20:02","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T07:20:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/178064\/"},"modified":"2025-09-24T07:20:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T07:20:02","slug":"defiant-emotional-jimmy-kimmel-fails-to-apologize-for-charlie-kirk-comments-as-he-returns-to-abcs-airwaves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/178064\/","title":{"rendered":"Defiant, emotional Jimmy Kimmel fails to apologize for Charlie Kirk comments as he returns to ABC’s airwaves"},"content":{"rendered":"

A defiant but emotional Jimmy Kimmel failed yet again to apologize for his false and inflammatory comments about Charlie Kirk\u2019s assassination in the late-night show host\u2019s return to the air Tuesday after spending nearly a week on the sidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kimmel attempted to clarify his past assertion that Kirk\u2019s alleged killer Tyler Robinson was likely affiliated with the MAGA movement<\/a> and teared up while praising the slain conservative activist\u2019s wife Erika Kirk during his highly anticipated monologue.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou understand that it was never my intention to make light of a murder of a young man. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s anything funny about it,\u201d he said in his opening remarks that were interrupted several times by standing ovations from the audience. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand that to some, that felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both, and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you\u2019re upset,\u201d he added, referencing ABC parent Disney\u2019s explanation for\u00a0the show\u2019s suspension.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jimmy Kimmel returned to the airwaves Tuesday night after his show was suspended by ABC. ABC<\/p>\n

While Kimmel didn\u2019t directly apologize for his Kirk comments, he noted: \u201cI don\u2019t think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone. This is a sick person who believes violence is a solution, and it isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kimmel then referenced Kirk\u2019s memorial on Sunday, during which his widow forgave Robinson for allegedly murdering her husband<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cShe forgave him. That is an example we should follow,\u201d\u00a0Kimmel said. \u201cIf you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do, there it was. That\u2019s it. A selfless act of grace.<\/p>\n

\u201cForgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply. If there\u2019s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The late-night comedian still delivered his usual fiery bits, complete with repeated jabs against President Trump and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr \u2014 though he remained mum on criticism toward ABC and Disney, save for a mock \u201ccondition\u201d of his return that included reading instructions for how to renew Disney+ subscriptions.<\/p>\n

Kimmel teared up when talking about Charlie Kirk during his monologue. ABC<\/p>\n

Robert De Niro appeared as a surprise cameo, pretending to be the new chairman of the FCC and slamming Kimmel\u2019s jokes that the government agency was leaning towards mafia-style tactics.<\/p>\n

Shortly before Tuesday\u2019s episode aired, Trump blasted ABC for reinstating Kimmel\u2019s show.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back,\u201d Trump fumed in a Truth Social post<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled! Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his \u201ctalent\u201d was never there.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would they want someone back who does so poorly, who\u2019s not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE,\u201d the president added.<\/p>\n

President Trump blasted Kimmel before Tuesday\u2019s show, calling him \u201cnot funny.\u201d REUTERS<\/p>\n

Kimmel\u2019s show was suspended by ABC last Wednesday after his incendiary comments about Kirk that sparked outrage from conservatives, which was only amplified over his continued refusal to issue a mea culpa.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI did not agree with that decision, and I told them that, and we had many conversations. I shared my point of view; they shared theirs,\u201d he said. \u201cWe talked it through, and at the end, even though they didn\u2019t have to, they really didn\u2019t have to \u2014 this is a giant company. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have short attention spans, and I am a tiny part of the Disney Corporation. They welcomed me back on the air, and I thank them for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kimmel negotiated his return with Disney\u2019s head honcho Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Dana Walden, sources told The Post \u2014 though it was unclear under what conditions, if any, the two sides agreed upon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The suspension of \u201cJimmy Kimmel Live!\u201d also prompted widespread boycotts against Disney, ABC\u2019s parent company, for alleged media suppression and First Amendment violations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kimmel and sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez hug during Tuesday night\u2019s show. Disney via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Even executives within Disney, including former CEO Michael Eisner, condemned the move as a cowardly surrender to \u201cout-of-control intimidation\u201d from the FCC.<\/p>\n

Some irate fans, including radio legend Howard Stern, cancelled their Disney+ subscriptions in protest.<\/p>\n

Not everyone bent to the House of Mouse\u2019s knee, though.<\/p>\n

Kimmel also praised Erika Kirk for forgiving her husband\u2019s killer. Disney via Getty Images<\/p>\n

ABC stations owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group announced Monday night that they would refuse to air \u201cJimmy Kimmel Live!\u201d and air standard news programming in its place.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show\u2019s potential return,\u201d the company said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Sinclair Broadcast Group owns just 41 of ABC\u2019s roughly 250 affiliate stations.<\/p>\n

Nexstar Media Group<\/a>, which operates 32 other ABC affiliates, announced on Tuesday that it would follow in Sinclair\u2019s footsteps and \u201cpreempt \u2018Jimmy Kimmel Live!\u2019\u201d for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n

The cluster of networks that won\u2019t air the show is primarily spread across the East Coast, including key markets in cities like Syracuse, Albany and Hartford.<\/p>\n

The White House has denied that Kimmel\u2019s suspension was the result of government-driven suppression of speech.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A defiant but emotional Jimmy Kimmel failed yet again to apologize for his false and inflammatory comments about…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":178065,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[12,88,3092,17114,11575,92,194],"class_list":{"0":"post-178064","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-donald-trump","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-fcc","11":"tag-jimmy-kimmel","12":"tag-jimmy-kimmel-live","13":"tag-tv","14":"tag-us-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=178064"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178064\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/178065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=178064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=178064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=178064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}