Jimmy Kimmel's talk show was at the center of a media firestorm in September 2025, when it was pulled from the air "indefinitely" following comments made about the murder of controversial right wing political activist Charlie Kirk.
The comedian, 58, was off the air for a total of five days, during which time he was supported by several other late night hosts and celebrity guests, before ABC decided to bring the show back to sky-high ratings.
© Getty ImagesHowever, given Donald Trump's continued threats to have the show permanently canceled, netizens have frequently wondered whether the move was made all along simply to appease the current administration.
Ex-Disney CEO reveals what happened
In a new interview with Financial Times, Bob Iger, the former CEO of Disney until March 2026, finally spoke about the decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air briefly.
© Getty ImagesHe confirmed that no, it apparently didn't have anything to do with the Trump administration's involvement. "That was not the case," Bob, 75, noted, adding of Jimmy's jokes: "We thought it was in bad taste."
He also stated that they did in fact ask Jimmy to apologize for the monologue. "We just wanted him to acknowledge that it was an ill-timed and probably inappropriate comment."
Disney standing firm with Jimmy Kimmel
However, when it came to further calls from Trump to take the late night show off the air, especially after comments like referring to Melania Trump as an "expectant widow" prior to a shooting attempt, Disney has stayed firm on keeping Jimmy around.
© Getty Images"I'm thoroughly supportive," Bob stated defiantly. "It's what we anticipated needing to do if the government's threats turned into action."
Why Jimmy doesn't "hate" Trump
Despite the openly acrimonious relationship built between them at this point, in an interview with Vulture, Jimmy admitted that he doesn't actively despise the POTUS, and thereby use any of that negativity to fuel his jokes.
© Getty Images"I don't think fighting with them helps," he said of arguing with those holding different political beliefs than him. "Fighting" with Trump, however, holds different weight. "That's different. I don't love him. I don't hate him, either. I feel sorry for him. He obviously didn't get hugged a lot," Jimmy quipped.
As for his take on actually apologizing after making the comments about Charlie Kirk, Jimmy has mixed feelings. "I don't consider an apology to be a defeat. I think that's the very basis of Catholicism," he noted.
© Getty Images"For the good of the Disney company, I took that bullet," Jimmy added, but said he later came to regret it. "One of the things we talked about when I first got suspended was that I can't do this show if I'm going to be micromanaged."
