David Letterman reveals how Jimmy Kimmel reacted after his show was dramatically pulled over Charlie Kirk comments

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David Letterman shared that he reached out to Jimmy Kimmel after ABC unexpectedly cancelled Kimmel’s late-night show.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! was taken off the air Wednesday night, with the network stating it was suspended for an unspecified amount of time following Kimmel’s remarks about Charlie Kirk.

David Letterman recently discussed his suspension with Jeffrey Goldberg at the Atlantic Festival in New York, describing it as a deeply unpleasant experience and comparing the situation to living under an authoritarian or dictatorial regime.

He said on Thursday that it’s unacceptable to fire someone simply out of fear or to please those in power who are acting criminally. He believes that kind of behavior is wrong.

David Letterman, age 78 and former host of Late Night, said he received a text message from Jimmy Kimmel, 57, on Thursday morning following the surprising news.

He quipped: ‘He’s sitting up in bed taking nourishment. He’s going to be fine.’ 

However, Letterman admitted he himself does not know what to ‘think or say about this situation.’ 

The comedian quipped that his show ran for years, covering the presidencies of Jimmy Carter through Barack Obama, and playfully poked fun at each of them.

He explained that despite making fun of people-whether the jokes were fair or not, accurate or not-they never faced any consequences from government regulators, including the Federal Communications Commission, which oversees media in the United States.

David Letterman has joined many other Hollywood stars in supporting Jimmy Kimmel, who faced backlash and was temporarily removed from the air after a segment on his show Monday night.

During a contentious moment, Kimmel stated that supporters of Donald Trump, often referred to as the ‘MAGA Gang,’ were actively attempting to distance themselves from the individual who allegedly attacked Charlie Kirk, and were seemingly prioritizing political gain over addressing the situation.

The late-night host also poked fun at President Donald Trump’s reaction to the shooting.

He wasn’t reacting to a friend’s murder like a grown man would. It was more like the way a little child grieves over a dead pet.

Following the announcement that Jimmy Kimmel had been suspended by ABC, Donald Trump stated that “The Jimmy Kimmel Show, which has been struggling with ratings, is cancelled.”

‘Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.’ 

ABC confirmed the late night program had been pulled in a short statement. 

‘Jimmy Kimmel Live will be preempted indefinitely,’ the network said.

After ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel, former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann harshly criticized Kirk, saying he deserved to ‘burn in hell’.

Keith Olbermann criticized Charlie Kirk in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. This came just days after Olbermann had already accused Donald Trump of being responsible for Kirk’s death during his podcast, stating that ‘Charlie Kirk died because he lived in Donald Trump’s America’.

Many other celebrities are also speaking out against the decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Ben Stiller, Henry Winkler, and Alison Brie.

Ben Stiller shared the news on X (formerly Twitter) that ABC was removing Jimmy Kimmel’s show, and simply wrote, ‘This isn’t right.’

John Legend shared a post from David Frum highlighting a perceived double standard. Frum questioned why calling out threats of government action against TV networks for comedic content is considered labeling someone a fascist.

MSNBC host and political commentator Chris Hayes said the recent actions represent the most direct assault on free speech he’s ever witnessed, and that it’s far worse than anything he’s seen before.

Kirk was shot dead last week at Utah Valley University aged 31.

Tyler Robinson, 22, was in court Tuesday facing charges that include aggravated murder. He is believed to be the shooter.

Letterman had already commented on the news that Stephen Colbert’s ‘The Late Show’ would be ending, which was announced in May.

In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Letterman stated he didn’t believe money was the reason, calling it ‘pure cowardice’.

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2025-09-18 23:49