Moments before news broke about “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” being suspended indefinitely, comedian Wanda Sykes was getting ready to sit down and chat with the show’s co-host that evening. The suspension came after the Trump administration lodged complaints about Kimmel’s recent monologue on the late right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
In a video posted to Instagram, Sykes broke the news herself.
“I was supposed to go over and have a chat with my friend Jimmy Kimmel on his show, but as you have heard by now, the Jimmy Kimmel show has been pulled indefinitely, abruptly, because of complaints from the Trump administration,” she told fans on Instagram. “So, let’s see, he didn’t end the Ukraine war or solve Gaza within his first week but he did end freedom of speech within his first year. Hey, for those of you who pray, now’s the time to do it. Love you, Jimmy.”
The cancellation instantly sparked backlash and conversation online, with heavyweights like former MSNBC journalist Joy Reid and former President Barack Obama weighing in.
Obama condemned the decision in a statement, saying:
“After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like. This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent — and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it.”
ABC’s move follows FCC chair Brendan Carr’s outrage over Kimmel’s remarks about Kirk’s death, in which the host criticized MAGA loyalists for weaponizing the tragedy. Kimmel noted, “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”
Trump, who has long waged war against late-night hosts, predictably gloated on Truth Social, calling the suspension “Great News for America.” He also demanded NBC oust Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon.
