Jimmy Kimmel has been taken off the air over comments he made on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” about Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on September 10. ABC decided to suspend Kimmel indefinitely, and the fans and celebrities have reacted with shock, showing their support for the late-night host. Among the reactions is Jay Leno, who voiced his support for Kimmel.
Jay Leno Shows Support for Jimmy Kimmel
“I’m on Jimmy Kimmel’s side on that one,” Leno said at the event for Chris Wallace‘s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony on Thursday, September 18, Us Weekly reports. “These kinds of things happen all the time.”
He continued, “You don’t get canceled saying popular things. Usually it’s the truth that winds up getting [you] canceled, so we’ll see what happens.”
Leno went on to share how commenting on situations like this is not abnormal for comedians. “It’s a comedian talking. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it,” he said. “That’s the market. Let the people decide. If people like a show, it stays on the air. I mean, that’s as simple as that.”
Leno also praised Kimmel for his talent and had a positive outlook for the future. “I enjoy Jimmy. I like all the guys. I think they’re really talented. I like jokes,” he explained. “That’s why I watch them. I think Jimmy will land on his feet. He’s a talented guy. He’s funny. And let’s see what happens. Maybe he might be on [TV again] in just a couple of weeks again. So, we’ll see.”
Leno stressed the importance of freedom of speech and commented on the right to have it.
Late Night Talk Show Hosts Show Their Support
Leno is not the only late-night show host to voice his support for Kimmel. Others include Stephen Colbert, who shared his thoughts in a clip posted on Instagram on September 19.
The decision to suspend Kimmel was announced hours after Brendan Carr, who is the chair of the broadcast regulator, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), said that they would take action against ABC and its parent company, Disney, because of what Kimmel had said, BBC reports.
“Nexstar’s owned and partner television stations affiliated with the ABC Television Network will preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the foreseeable future, beginning with tonight’s show,” Nexstar reports.
The company called Kimmel’s “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.” They also stressed that they did not share his opinion or views on the matter.
