Jimmy Kimmel says his Charlie Kirk comments were maliciously mischaracterised
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Comedian and TV producer Jimmy Kimmel said he saw the reaction to Mr Charlie Kirk’s death as “distortion on the part of some right-wing media networks and I aimed to correct it”.
PHOTO: AFP
LOS ANGELES – Comedian Jimmy Kimmel said his comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk
The host of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! became a central figure in the Donald Trump administration’s culture wars following comments he made about the assassination of Mr Kirk
Kimmel’s remarks prompted Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr to tell TV stations to drop the show or potentially face regulatory consequences.
Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair, two large station-group owners, and ABC parent Walt Disney Company suspended the programme for several days, prompting a backlash and national debate over free speech.
Disney returned Kimmel to the air
Kimmel, whose contract is up in May, declined to comment about whether he would continue hosting the show after that.
Speaking at the Bloomberg Screentime conference in Los Angeles on Oct 8, Kimmel said he saw the reaction to Mr Kirk’s death as “distortion on the part of some right-wing media networks, and I aimed to correct it”.
In a Sept 15 monologue, Kimmel accused Republicans of using Mr Kirk’s death to criticise their opponents.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend, with the Maga (Make America Great Again) gang trying to characterise this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” he said.
Kimmel said he did not script his monologue on the night he returned to the air, saying it was “something that really had to come from inside me, and had to be truthful, and I had to lay it all out there and be honest with what I was feeling”.
The host said he would not invite Mr Carr on the show, but would ask Mr Trump, the US President, to be a guest.
Despite the show of support for Kimmel
In July, CBS announced it would cancel The Late Show With Stephen Colbert after its current season, labelling it “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night”.
Other speakers on the night of Oct 8 included Warner Music Group chief executive Robert Kyncl and Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters.
The Bloomberg Screentime conference, an annual event focusing on entertainment, sports and the media, continues on the morning of Oct 9 with guests including Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, music manager Irving Azoff and Sinners (2025) director Ryan Coogler. BLOOMBERG
