Jimmy Kimmel Received Support from Barack Obama, Ben Stiller, Rosie O'Donnell, and Wanda Sykes: 'This Is Unfair'

      Former President Barack Obama, Ben Stiller, Rosie O'Donnell, and Wanda Sykes were among those who supported Jimmy Kimmel after his show was suddenly taken off the air following pressure from the Trump Administration.

      Stiller expressed on X, “This isn’t right.”

      Sykes, who was scheduled to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday, said on Instagram that Trump had “not ended the Ukraine war or resolved Gaza in his first week. But he did end freedom of speech within his first year.” She added, “For those who pray, now’s the time to do it. Love you, Jimmy.”

      Obama posted on Threads: “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has escalated it to a dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory actions against media companies that don’t silence or dismiss reporters and commentators it disagrees with. This represents the type of government coercion the First Amendment was designed to guard against — media companies need to start resisting rather than yielding to this pressure.”

      Two major Hollywood unions — SAG-AFTRA, which represents actors, and the Writers Guild of America — also voiced their support for Kimmel.

      “Democracy thrives when diverse viewpoints are heard,” SAG-AFTRA stated. “The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! is a form of suppression and retaliation that threatens everyone’s freedoms.”

      The WGA remarked, “As a Guild, we stand united against anyone who uses their power to silence writers or dissenting voices. If free speech only applied to agreeable ideas, we wouldn’t have needed to include it in the Constitution. What we've committed to – as difficult as it may be at times – is the fundamental agreement to disagree. Shame on those in government who overlook this foundational truth. As for our employers, our words have made you successful. Silencing us diminishes the entire world.”

      O'Donnell expressed her discontent on Instagram: “This is unacceptable – f— this fascist administration and corrupt corporate executives – bowing to the orange monster – America is no more 🥲.”

      Comedian and director Mike Birbiglia noted on Instagram: “If you’re a comedian and don’t speak out against the insanity of Kimmel being pulled off the air — don’t talk about free speech anymore.” He referenced several pro-Trump comedians who vocally condemned cancel culture before their own comedian was silenced.

      How the Trump Administration Targeted Jimmy Kimmel

      Brendan Carr, who Trump appointed as chair of the Federal Communications Commission, threatened on Wednesday that the FCC might take action against Disney-owned ABC, stating on a podcast, “These companies should find ways to change their conduct regarding Kimmel, or there’s going to be more work for the FCC.”

      He urged network affiliates to declare, “We are going to pre-empt; we will not run Kimmel anymore until this is resolved.”

      Shortly after, Nexstar, which requires FCC approval for a planned $6.2 billion deal to acquire a competitor, announced it would pre-empt Kimmel’s show. Moreover, Sinclair, which also owns ABC affiliate stations, indicated it would stop airing Kimmel’s show and demanded an apology from him and a "meaningful personal donation" to Kirk’s family and his conservative activist group, Turning Point USA. (Later, Sinclair stated it would air a tribute to Kirk during Kimmel’s timeslot on Friday.)

      On Wednesday evening, ABC revealed that it would “indefinitely” suspend Kimmel’s show.

      President Trump praised the move and urged other networks to cancel their late-night hosts.

      “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that's possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also terrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT,” the president wrote on Truth Social.

      What Jimmy Kimmel Said Regarding Charlie Kirk

      Kimmel, a longtime critic of Trump, has frequently mocked the Republican, including during his hosting of the 2024 Oscars.

      In his opening monologue on Monday night, Kimmel claimed that Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Kirk’s murder last week, was linked to the pro-Trump MAGA movement.

      “We reached new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to portray this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything but one of their own and doing everything they can to gain political advantage from it,” Kimmel stated.

      Kimmel’s comment is at the 1:30 mark in the video above, which is also available here.

      The Daily Mail reported that Robinson’s grandmother mentioned “most of my family members are Republican.” However, CNN stated that prosecutors indicated Robinson’s mother had noted that Robinson had become more politically active over the past year, leaning more left and supporting pro-gay and trans rights.

      Main image: Jimmy Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live Monday. ABC.