Since Jimmy Kimmel Live! was “pre-empted indefinitely” in ABC’s own words, there’s a chance the comedian’s show could return. As critics and fans clash over the Disney network’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel, some are wondering if and when he’ll come back on the air.
Below, Hollywood Life has compiled everything we know so far about Kimmel’s potential return to ABC.
Was Jimmy Kimmel Fired by ABC?
No, despite false assumptions circulating online, Kimmel has not been fired; he’s been suspended “indefinitely.”
Why Was Jimmy Kimmel Suspended?
Kimmel was suspended for his remarks about Charlie Kirk‘s suspected shooter, Tyler Robinson. Days after Kimmel sent his condolences to the Kirk family and condemned gun violence, he said on his show’s September 15, 2025, broadcast, “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. In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”
During that episode, the comedian showed how Donald Trump responded to a reporter’s question on how he was coping with Kirk’s death.
Jimmy Kimmel’s full comments on Charlie Kirk which led to his show being taken off air indefinitely. pic.twitter.com/Ctg7LL8HWL
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) September 18, 2025
“I think very good, and by the way, right there — do you see all the trucks?” the president asked. “They just started construction for the new ballroom for the White House, which is something they’ve been trying to get as, you know, for about 150 years. And it’s gonna be a beauty.”
ABC affiliate Nexstar then said it would not broadcast Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the “foreseeable future” on its stations, adding that it “strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”
Hours before ABC pulled Kimmel off the air, Brendan Carr, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, criticized Kimmel’s “MAGA” comments.
“This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said on Benny Johnson’s show. “Disney needs to see some change here, but the individual licensed stations that are taking their content, it’s time for them to step up and say this, you know, garbage to the extent that that’s what comes down the pipe in the future isn’t something that we think serves the needs of our local communities. … There’s calls for Kimmel to be fired. I think you could certainly see a path forward for suspension over this.”
The FCC threat was the final straw for Disney, according to CNN.
Is Jimmy Kimmel Coming Back on the Air?
Since Disney’s ABC said Kimmel has been “pre-empted indefinitely,” there is a chance he could return, but it’s unclear when. A source familiar with the situation told CNN, “Everyone deeply values him and wants him to come back. But he has to take down the temperature [with his Trump-related commentary].”
CNN further reported that Disney’s decision to pull Kimmel’s show was not a “rash” decision. The problem “had been brewing” the week of September 15, 2025. Kimmel didn’t relent from commenting on the “MAGA gang,” so Disney executives told him to “[take] down the temperature” of what would have been his September 17, 2025, monologue, according to a separate insider. When he didn’t, Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment Co-chairman Dana Walden decided to yank the show “in hopes of protecting Kimmel and the Disney brand from accelerating the controversy,” per CNN.
Three sources close to the matter also told Variety that Kimmel’s legal reps are discussing a compromise with Disney and ABC bosses.
What Is Jimmy Kimmel’s Salary at ABC?
Kimmel earns around $15 million per year with ABC, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
