Jimmy Kimmel Back on Air – ABC Lifts Suspension After Kirk Scandal

It was a week full of headlines, speculation, and heated debates – and now comes the surprising reversal: Jimmy Kimmel is returning. Less than seven days after his suspension by ABC over controversial remarks about the slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" will air again with new episodes on Tuesday evening. The network's decision to shut down the flagship late-night show just hours after the Kirk memorial had caused a stir. At a time when emotions were boiling over, Disney – ABC's parent company – apparently wanted to avoid further escalation. "Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country," the company said in an official statement at the time. The comments were "ill-timed and thus insensitive."

Now, however, after days of intense discussions between the network and the host, Disney is striking a new tone. They said they had spoken with Kimmel extensively about responsibility, context, and impact – and together decided that returning to the screen was the right step. "We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday," the company stated. Trump did not take this decision particularly calmly.

Thus, a remarkable spectacle continues: The suspension had reignited the debate about free speech, sensitivity, and the handling of satire in the United States. Kimmel, known for years as a sharp-tongued critic of Trump and the American right, now stands symbolically for the question of where satire ends and political calculation begins. The return of his show will not only be a TV comeback but also a democratic test of how much room for provocation remains in America in 2025.