Jimmy Kimmel addressed ABC suspending his show over the late-night host’s comments in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing, as it returned to air on Tuesday night.
The big picture: While Disney brought “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” back to ABC after a week off the air, Sinclair and Nexstar blocked the show from more than a quarter of ABC affiliates.
What he’s saying: “As I was saying before I got interrupted, I’m happy to be here tonight,” Kimmel joked in his opening monologue.
- “I’m not sure who had a weirder 48 hours, me or the CEO of Tylenol,” he said, in reference to President Trump’s warning to pregnant women, prompting Kenvue, Tylenol’s maker, to emphasize there’s “no credible evidence linking acetaminophen to autism.”
- Kimmel said he’d had messages of support from around the world and thanked those who’d shown support, including his fellow late-night hosts who reacted in their shows by highlighting censorship and free speech concerns about his program’s suspension.
- “Can you imagine this country has become so authoritarian that Germany is like come here?” Kimmel said.
- He also thanked conservatives who’d shown “courage” in supporting him, including Ben Shapiro and Sen. Ted Cruz.
Zoom in: “I’ve been hearing a lot about what I need to say and do tonight, and the truth is, I don’t think what I have to say is going to make much of a difference,” Kimmel said
