Inside The Reported 'Chaos' Behind The Scenes Of Jimmy Kimmel's Show After Controversy

There was reportedly drama behind the scenes of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" amid host Jimmy Kimmel's controversial comments about the government's reaction after MAGA supporter Charlie Kirk's death. The comments, made during Kimmel's September 16, 2025, monologue, resulted in ABC suspending the show on September 17 after getting pressure from the FCC commissioner Brandon Carr, per Reuters. ABC's decision sparked a national controversy about free speech rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution, and ABC announced the return of the late night show in a statement on September 22 (via PBS). 

"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" returned to the airwaves in most markets on September 23, 2025, and according to the Daily Mail, Kimmel's highly anticipated monologue caused tension behind the scenes of the show for reasons that might surprise some people. A source described the vibe among the crew as chaotic because Kimmel and some of his high-level executive producers were keeping the contents of the monologue a secret, which wasn't normal procedure. Many members of the crew were nervous Kimmel would apologize for his remarks, which would've felt like a betrayal to them, since everyone on the team collaborated on Kimmel's September 16 monologue and agreed that it was respectful of Kirk and his loved ones, but sent a necessary message.

"I understand that he's got to protect his career, but he can't do it at the expense of truth and what we all agreed on," the source told the Daily Mail.  

The return episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" drew about 6.3 million viewers (per Variety) and Jimmy Kimmel's 22-minute monologue set a YouTube record to become the most-watched monologue in the show's 24-season history (per Variety). It's unclear how his crew feels about the remarks, but Kimmel did tell his audience that he didn't intend to make light of Charlie Kirk's murder. " ... 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," he said. He referenced a social media message he made on the day of Kirk's death, sending love to his family and condemning violence.  

"Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what — it was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make. But I understand that to some, that felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both. And for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you're upset. If the situation was reversed, there's a good chance I'd have felt the same way," Kimmel continued. 

Kimmel also called Brandon Carr's veiled threats against media companies a violation of the First Amendment and underlined how important it is that everyone in the country has the right to free speech, no matter if Donald Trump likes what they're saying or not.