In brief
Jimmy Kimmel made a notable return to late-night television after a brief suspension, addressing the recent murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. During his monologue, Kimmel expressed his remorse over the light-hearted jokes regarding Kirk’s death, emphasizing that he never intended to make light of the situation. His comments have sparked discussions about freedom of speech and reactions across the media. Despite the controversy, Kimmel's first show back attracted nearly 8 million viewers on YouTube, significantly above his usual viewership.
NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Kimmel offered no apologies in his return to late-night television and, in an emotional monologue where he appeared close to tears, said he was not trying to joke about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. He also paid tribute to Kirk’s widow.
Nearly 8 million people had watched Kimmel’s first show back from a nearly one-week suspension on YouTube by midmorning Wednesday. Typically, he gets about 1.8 million viewers each night on television. Ratings were due to be released later in the day.
In his first public comments following the suspension, Kimmel did not hesitate to joke about President Donald Trump, crediting him for what is expected to be a ratings bonanza. “He tried,” Kimmel said. “He did his best to cancel me. Instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show. That backfired bigly. He might have to release the Epstein files to distract us from this now.”
Kimmel stated, “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.” He praised Kirk’s widow, Erika, for performing a “selfless act of grace” in publicly forgiving her husband’s killer.
Kimmel added, “I don’t think what I’m going to say is going to make much of a difference. If you like me, you like me. If you don’t, you don’t. I have no illusions about changing anyone’s mind.”
Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded, stated on X that Kimmel’s monologue was “not good enough” and demanded an apology. In contrast, comedian Ben Stiller praised Kimmel’s monologue as “brilliant.” The incident has spurred a national conversation regarding freedom of speech and Trump's influence over journalists, with the President expressing disapproval of ABC for bringing Kimmel back and threatening legal action.
Kimmel received a warm welcome from the audience, who greeted him with a standing ovation and chants of “Jimmy, Jimmy.” Attendee Walter Bates commented on the emotional impact of Kimmel’s tribute to Kirk’s widow, highlighting how it moved many in the audience.
