Kimmel Tears Up As He Delivers Message to Erika Kirk On Return To Show

ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel returned to the air Tuesday night, one week after being suspended by the Disney-owned network for inflammatory comments about the assassin who murdered conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Though Kimmel became emotional during his monologue and praised Erika Kirk — Charlie’s widow — for publicly forgiving her husband’s killer, he notably stopped short of apologizing for the remarks that led to his suspension.

“There was a moment over the weekend, a very beautiful moment. I don’t know if you saw this. On Sunday, Erika Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. She forgave him. That is an example we should follow,” Kimmel told his audience, calling her words “a selfless act of grace.”

Kimmel’s Suspension and Backlash

Disney executives suspended Kimmel’s program on September 15 after he accused conservatives of trying to spin the assassin’s motives.

“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,” Kimmel said at the time.

The remarks sparked immediate outrage. Both Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group — which together represent roughly a quarter of ABC affiliates — pulled the program from dozens of stations, citing Kimmel’s comments as “ill-timed and insensitive.”

On Monday, both media groups announced they would continue to pre-empt his show indefinitely, dealing a blow to ABC’s late-night lineup.

Trump and FCC Chair Weigh In

President Donald Trump blasted both Kimmel and ABC for bringing him back on air, saying the network had effectively “canceled” the program before backtracking. FCC Chair Brendan Carr also issued a pointed warning over the controversy, signaling potential regulatory scrutiny.

Kimmel’s “Clarification”

On his return, Kimmel addressed the uproar but never directly apologized.

“I don’t think what I have to say is going to make much of a difference,” he said. “If you like me, you like me. If you don’t, you don’t… it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man.”

He added: “Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group… but I understand that, to some, it felt either ill-timed or unclear or maybe both, and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset.”

Kimmel insisted that the murderer did not represent any political movement, but rather “a sick person who believed violence was a solution.”

The host also revealed he was unhappy with Disney for taking him off the air, even as he thanked the network for continuing to give him a platform.