Former Disney CEO Bob Iger is sharing new details about Jimmy Kimmel‘s suspension from air last fall.
In an interview with the Financial Times published on Saturday, June 20, Iger refuted claims that the network’s decision to pull Kimmel was due to allegiance to President Donald Trump.
“That was not the case,” Iger said of the comedian’s suspension, which came after controversial comments Kimmel made about Charlie Kirk‘s death. “We thought [Kimmel’s joke] was in bad taste.”
The executive noted that Kimmel’s suspension lasted less than one week, saying, “We just wanted him to acknowledge that it was an ill-timed and probably inappropriate comment.”
Iger stepped down as Disney’s CEO in March, and has since been replaced with Josh D’Amaro.
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Kimmel’s controversial remarks about Kirk’s death occurred during his monologue on the Sept. 15 episode.
“We had 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 with everything they can to score political points from it.” Kimmel said at the time.
Kimmel’s comments drew backlash from viewers across the country and led to two of ABC’s largest affiliate groups pulling the show from broadcast. Six days later, the comedian returned to air after coming to an agreement with network executives on what he would say upon the show’s return.
In his opening monologue on Sept. 23, Kimmel addressed the controversy for the first time, clarified his comments, and spoke kindly about the political influencer’s widow, Erika Kirk. He also took time to advocate for the right to free speech, and argued that pulling him and other late-night hosts off-air is a threat to democracy.
Kimmel’s monologue that night quickly became the most-watched of his on YouTube ever, racking up over 15 million views on the platform less than 24 hours after the show aired.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC.
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