The episode opened with clips of media coverage about Kimmel’s suspension and potential return, including a quote from one talking head about the show’s opening being the most anticipated monologue on late night in years. The show then cut to Kimmel dressed as some kind of chubby rodent, with sidekick Guillermo dressed as a banana. Kimmel began to speak: “Maybe we should...”
Comedian Jimmy Kimmel returned to his late-night ABC show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” a week after his controversial suspension following comments he made in the aftermath of the murder of Charlie Kirk.
“Change?” asked the banana-clad Guillermo.
“Yeah,” Kimmel agreed.
The comedian was greeted by applause, a standing ovation, and a chant of his name. He thanked the crowd, and then said, “I’m not sure who had a weirder 48 hours, me or the CEO of Tylenol.”
He thanked his fellow late-night talk show hosts for their support, and added, “I heard from late-night hosts in other countries, from Ireland and from Germany. The guy in Germany offered me a job. Can you imagine? This country has become so authoritarian, the Germans are like, come here.”
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He also thanked conservatives who spoke up on his behalf even though they didn’t agree with him, then played an audio clip of Texas Senator Ted Cruz defending his right to free speech. “I don’t think I’ve ever said this before, but Ted Cruz is right.”
Getting choked up, Kimmel said, “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”
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He emphasized that he wanted to be clear about the difference between the man who shot Kirk, and those who felt targeted by his speech. “This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution, and it isn’t, ever.”
Kimmel also struck a note of unity, saying, “This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to make a show like this.”
He was explicit about FCC chairman Brendan Carr’s comments on a podcast about his show being a direct violation of the First Amendment, and went on to say, “Brendan Carr is the most embarrassing car Republicans have embraced since this one,” he said, then showed an image of a Cybertruck emblazoned with an American flag and Trump logo.
He also shared prior tweets from Carr and video of President Trump speaking up about the importance of free speech, as well as footage of Trump claiming recently that Kimmel’s show had “no ratings” and that was why he was off the air. “Well,” Kimmel said. “I do tonight!”
Later, Kimmel said he was going to read a statement Disney was requiring him to make, which he claimed said “To reactivate your Disney+ and Hulu account, open the Disney+ app on your smart TV or TV-connected device,” a reference to the outpouring of support that followed his suspension.
The host wasn’t shy about his feelings about President Trump urging his firing, which would have resulted in his crew also losing their jobs, saying, “Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke.”
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He also addressed recent efforts by the Trump administration to control what journalists report, saying, “They want to pick and choose what the news is. I know that’s not as interesting as muzzling a comedian, but it’s so important to have a free press and it is nuts that we aren’t paying more attention to it.”
Kimmel also referenced Kirk’s wife Erika saying at his memorial service that she forgave his killer, with the late-night host calling it an example we could follow. “It touched me deeply,” he said, holding back tears. “If there’s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that, and not this.”
Lisa Weidenfeld can be reached at lisa.weidenfeld@globe.com. Follow her on X @LisaWeidenfeld and Instagram @lisaweidenfeld.
[SRC] https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/09/24/arts/jimmy-kimmel-live-monologue/
