After weeks of silence Jimmy Kimmel finally breaks his silence with a first post since his controversial ABC suspension.NH

Jimmy Kimmel has made his first social media post after his late-night show was briefly suspended by ABC.

On Tuesday, September 23, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host shared a personal Instagram tribute, posting a photo of himself with legendary TV producer Norman Lear. “Missing this guy today,” Kimmel captioned the shot. Lear, who passed away in December 2023, was a passionate advocate for free speech and the First Amendment.

The timing of the post was notable, as it came just ahead of Kimmel’s return to the air. The network had announced on September 17 that the show would “be pre-empted indefinitely” following Kimmel’s controversial comments about conservative figure Charlie Kirk’s death.

Fans and colleagues were quick to hop in the comments of the post, with Rosie O’Donnell writing, “kill it tonight – feel all the love.”

Another fan wrote, “You’re a good man Jimmy, will be watching tonight,” while another agreed, saying, “Thank you for standing strong and for not compromising!”

Others, however, were not pleased with Kimmel’s return, with one noting, “But no one is missing you, Jimmy,” while another claimed, “we’re all boycotting you and Disney.”

Variety reported that Nexstar Media, one of the country’s largest station groups, had threatened to drop the show unless it was removed from the lineup. Nexstar later confirmed its affiliates would suspend the late-night program “for the foreseeable future.”

The backlash centered on remarks Kimmel made during his September 15 monologue, where he addressed the killing of Kirk, 31, at Utah Valley University. Referring to Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused shooter, Kimmel said, “The MAGA Gang [is] desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

FCC chairman Brendan Carr sharply criticized the comments, suggesting ABC and Disney could face consequences. Support from Hollywood, however, was swift. On September 22, the ACLU released an open letter signed by over 400 prominent figures, including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Aniston, and Ben Stiller, defending Kimmel. 

Hours later, Disney confirmed that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would return, saying in a statement that the network had taken time for “thoughtful conversations” with the host.