David Letterman Says He Texted with Jimmy Kimmel the Day After His Show Was Pulled from ABC: ‘He’s Up in Bed, Taking Nourishment’

David Letterman recently opened up about the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s long-running late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, on ABC, offering insight into how Kimmel has been coping with the news.

During an appearance at The Atlantic Festival 2025 in New York City on Thursday, September 18, the 78-year-old Late Show with David Letterman alum revealed that he had been in contact with Kimmel, 57, since the announcement of the show’s indefinite hiatus.

Letterman shared that Kimmel texted him on Thursday morning. “He’s up in bed, taking nourishment. He’s going to be fine,” Letterman said, as the audience responded with laughter.

“This is misery,” Letterman told Variety. “I feel bad about this. We see where this is all going, correct? It’s managed media. And it’s no good. It’s silly. It’s ridiculous. And you can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian criminal administration in the Oval Office. That’s just not how this works.”

He also commented on the political context, saying, “The institution of the President of the United States ought to be bigger than a guy doing a talk show.” Letterman pointed out that the removal of Kimmel’s show “was predicted by our president right after Stephen Colbert got walked off, so you’re telling me this isn’t premeditated at some level?”

Letterman, who hosted The Late Show from 1993 to 2015, reflected on how he had joked about six presidents on air without interference. “Not once were we squeezed by anyone from any governmental agency, let alone the dreaded FCC,” he said. He humorously added, “This guy [at] the FCC said ‘We can do things the easy way. We can do things the hard way.’ Who is hiring these goons? Mario Puzo.”

The suspension follows controversial comments made by Kimmel about the death of right-wing political commentator Charlie Kirk. Kimmel criticized what he called the MAGA movement’s efforts to politicize the tragedy, stating on air, “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.” Before that, Kimmel had expressed condolences on social media, calling for a day of unity against gun violence.

Nexstar Media, the largest local broadcast and digital media company in the U.S., publicly opposed Kimmel’s comments and announced plans to replace Jimmy Kimmel Live! with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets. This move came amid Nexstar’s pending $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna, a deal that requires approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), chaired by Brendan Carr. Carr later praised Nexstar’s pressure on ABC, writing on X that broadcasters must “push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values.”

Former President Donald Trump celebrated ABC’s decision to suspend Kimmel’s show on his social media platform Truth Social, calling it “great news for America.” He also criticized late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, calling them “total losers” and urging NBC to follow ABC’s lead.

Meanwhile, several prominent figures in entertainment and politics, including former President Barack Obama, expressed concern over the suspension, warning it poses a threat to freedom of speech and media independence.

As of Thursday afternoon, Jimmy Kimmel has not publicly addressed ABC’s decision.

David Letterman’s remarks underscore the challenges faced by late-night hosts today amid political pressures and media censorship concerns. His support for Kimmel and criticism of the forces behind the suspension highlight the importance of protecting free speech in today’s media landscape.

The future of Jimmy Kimmel Live! remains uncertain, but the controversy it has sparked continues to ignite important conversations about freedom of expression and censorship.