"Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday."
"It all started during Kimmel's monologue on Sept. 15 as he discussed the aftermath of the shooting death of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk. Kimmel said, "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang 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." Despite some complaints in conservative circles, it seemed like an innocuous remark."
"But now what? So many questions remain. Will Kimmel address the controversy? Will he apologize? Will he be taken off the air again if he says something the president of the United States doesn't like? Will his return be celebrated or condemned? Or both? It has been a week unlike any other in recent history when it comes to one of the staples of our democracy: free speech."
Jimmy Kimmel Live will return to ABC after a nearly weeklong suspension following a controversial monologue. Disney said producers suspended the show to avoid inflaming a tense situation and called some comments ill-timed and insensitive, then cited thoughtful conversations with Kimmel before deciding to resume production. The controversy began with Kimmel's Sept. 15 monologue about the shooting death of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk, including a line accusing the MAGA movement of trying to portray the shooter as anything other than one of them. The incident has provoked questions about apologies, censorship, potential repercussions, and broader debates about free speech in media.
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