“Jimmy Kimmel on Free Speech: ‘The Show Doesn’t Matter — Living in a Country That Allows It Does’”

Jimmy Kimmel returned to Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday night, visibly emotional, addressing for the first time his six-day suspension from ABC following comments he made about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The show opened with a montage of news clips covering the controversy, one anchor even calling Kimmel’s return “one of the most pivotal moments in broadcast history.” In a tongue-in-cheek moment, Kimmel and Guillermo Rodriguez were shown backstage dressed as a tiger and a banana before Kimmel deadpanned, “We should probably change.”

The audience erupted into applause as Kimmel took the stage for his monologue. Without missing a beat, he joked, “I’m not sure who had a weirder 48 hours — me or the CEO of Tylenol.”

Kimmel went on to thank his colleagues and industry peers who supported him, naming Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Conan O’Brien, James Corden, Jay Leno, Howard Stern, and David Letterman. But he also extended gratitude to unexpected allies on the political right.

“Maybe most of all, I want to thank the people who don’t support my show or my views, but who defended my right to express them,” he said. “People I never imagined, like Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Candace Owens, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul — even my old pal Ted Cruz, who said something very beautiful on my behalf.”

Kimmel acknowledged he does not agree with many of those figures, but credited them for speaking out despite political differences. “It takes courage to stand up to this administration,” he said, voice cracking.

When he finally addressed his September 15 comments about Charlie Kirk’s death, Kimmel fought back tears. “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” he said. “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it. I posted a message on Instagram the day he was killed, sending love to his family, and I meant it then and still do.”

He clarified that his remarks were never meant to blame any political group. “This was the act of a deeply disturbed individual. If you felt I was pointing fingers, I get why you’re upset. If the situation were reversed, I probably would have felt the same way.”

Kimmel then reflected on the significance of free expression in America, insisting the moment wasn’t about the importance of his show but about the larger right to speak freely. “We live in a country that allows us to have a show like this — and that matters,” he said, before criticizing the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show and warning of government overreach.

He singled out FCC Chair Brendan Carr for allegedly threatening ABC and its affiliates. “Ten years ago this would have sounded insane,” Kimmel said, quoting Carr’s alleged comments that companies could “change conduct” or face “additional work” from the FCC. “That’s a direct violation of the First Amendment — and not even a smart threat to make publicly.”

Kimmel also responded to Donald Trump, who had mocked his firing and called him “talentless.” With a grin, Kimmel replied, “Well, I do tonight,” to roaring applause. “You almost have to feel sorry for him. He tried to cancel me, and instead millions of people tuned in. That backfired bigly.”

While Kimmel admitted he was “not happy” about ABC’s decision to suspend him, he thanked the network for ultimately bringing him back. He warned that supporting his show puts ABC at risk from a president “who has made it clear he wants to end Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

“Our leader celebrates Americans losing their jobs because he can’t take a joke,” Kimmel said, accusing Trump of forcing Stephen Colbert off CBS and now targeting other late-night hosts. “I hope that if they come for Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, or anyone else, you’ll be even louder than you were this week.”

Kimmel became emotional once again when discussing Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, who publicly forgave her husband’s killer at a memorial service. “That’s what grace looks like,” Kimmel said, his voice breaking. “A selfless act of forgiveness. If we take anything from this tragedy, I hope it’s that — not the anger.”

The controversy has ignited a larger national debate about free speech and political pressure on media companies. Writer Louis Virtel, speaking on his podcast Keep It, called the FCC’s actions “a clear assault by this president and his administration” and defended Kimmel’s original comments as satire meant to make a point.

Kimmel’s original Sept. 15 monologue had accused “the MAGA gang” of trying to frame Kirk’s killer as anything other than one of their own, which critics called tasteless. Two days later, FCC Chair Carr reportedly threatened regulatory action, prompting Nexstar and Sinclair — owners of a quarter of ABC affiliates — to pull the show, and ABC to suspend Kimmel indefinitely.

The suspension sparked protests in New York and Los Angeles and an open letter signed by more than 400 celebrities and the ACLU condemning Disney’s move as censorship.

On Monday, ABC announced Kimmel would return, calling his remarks “ill-timed” but emphasizing that “thoughtful conversations” had taken place before deciding to bring him back.

Still, Tuesday’s broadcast was not seen nationwide, as Nexstar and Sinclair maintained they would continue preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! for now.