YouTube: Jimmy Kimmel Live!Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been pulled from the air “indefinitely” after comments the host made on the show following Charlie Kirk’s death, and now Disney Plus and Hulu subscribers are fighting back.
Kirk was giving a talk at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, as part of his ‘American Comeback Tour’ when he was fatally shot in the neck. Suspect Tyler Robinson has since been arrested and is facing the death penalty if convicted.
On Monday night’s (September 15) episode of his chat show, Kimmel discussed the incident, suggesting the “MAGA gang” are “doing everything they can to score political points” from Kirk’s murder.
ABC has since pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! from the air “indefinitely” over the comments. President Donald Trump called it “Great news for America” on Truth Social, but the reaction has been overwhelmingly negative.
Why people are canceling Disney Plus & Hulu
Creative CommonsSince the news of Kimmel’s firing, there have been widespread calls for Disney Plus and Hulu users to cancel their subscriptions as a form of protest. Both streaming services are owned by Disney, which is also the parent company of ABC.
In short, the same media conglomerate that controls Jimmy Kimmel Live! also oversees these platforms. For many subscribers, canceling Disney Plus or Hulu is the most direct way to push back against the decision.
Over on X/Twitter, there’s been a spike in #cancelDisneyPlus and #cancelHulu posts in response to the news, with many sharing screenshots of them ending their subscriptions.
“Goodbye Disney,” wrote one, while another said, “Just canceled my Disney+ and Hulu subscription because ABC caved to Trump’s and Carr’s fascism.”
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A third added, “I don’t believe in ‘cancel culture’. I believe in CANCELING my subscriptions to companies that are actively oppressing freedom of speech.” A fourth chimed in, “The Second Amendment killed the First Amendment. Jimmy Kimmel was right.
“If my memory is correct, these MAGAT’s ran against cancel culture. Shame on ABC Network. My television will never be on ABC, I will never go back to Disney and done with anything else in this corporate family.”
Over on Threads, Supernatural star Misha Collins also made a stand, writing, “I’m canceling my Disney Plus subscription ‘indefinitely.’”
The news has been received poorly due to the fact that it goes against free speech in the US (it’s the main reason South Park is able to get away with so much). But there’s also the fact that Kimmel’s comments weren’t celebratory or disrespectful to Kirk.
What did Jimmy Kimmel say to get fired?
The episode in question aired on Monday, September 15, with Kimmel making comments about MAGA’s response to Kirk’s death during his opening monologue, which you can watch below:
The host says, “We hit 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 doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
It’s unclear whether he was suggesting Robinson was a MAGA supporter or that the murder was part of a larger political shift in America, but this was the comment figures like FCC chairman Brendan Carr took issue with.
In his monologue, Kimmel continues, “In between the finger-pointing there was grieving. On Friday, the White House flew the flags at half staff, which got some criticism, but on a human level you can see how hard the president is taking this.”
The show then cuts to a clip of Trump being asked how he’s holding up after Kirk’s death, to which he says, “I think, very good,” before pointing to the construction of a new ballroom for the White House.
Kimmel then says, “He’s at the fourth stage of grief: construction… this is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish, okay? And it didn’t just happen once.”
The show cuts to another segment, showing Trump being interviewed by Fox News over Kirk’s death. Again, the POTUS discusses the ballroom and how it’s “going to be incredible.”
Creative CommonsKimmel then interjects, “There’s something wrong with him. There really is. I mean, who thinks like that? And why are we building a $200 million ballroom in the White [House]? Is it possible that he’s doing it intentionally so we could be mad about that instead of the Epstein list?”
The host goes on to poke fun at Trump’s claim on Fox News that “California doesn’t have ballot boxes”, as well as FBI director Kash Patel mistakenly announcing they had caught Kirk’s killer when they hadn’t.
Before moving onto the Emmys, he says, “The Governor of Utah, Governor Spencer Cox, has been a rare voice of sanity after what happened in his state.
“He urged Americans to choose humanity, connection, and love, and even encouraged us to listen to people we disagree with, which is not the plan according to Marjorie Taylor Greene.”
Greene wrote, “There’s nothing left to talk about with the left. They hate us. They assassinated our nice guy who actually talked to them peacefully debating ideas.
“Then millions on the left celebrated and made clear they want all of us dead. To be honest, I want a peaceful national divorce.”
Kimmel continues, “Same thing her husband said about two and a half years ago. But a ‘peaceful national divorce’, how would that work? You get Florida, we get Vermont? I mean, we share custody at Disney World every other weekend?
“She’s right, it feels like we are all stuck in a marriage to Marjorie Taylor Greene right now.”
Following this episode, broadcaster Nexstar shared a statement that reads (via Deadline): “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 strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”
Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest of ABC’s affiliate groups, also told the outlet that it will “not lift the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on our stations until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.”
Soon after, an ABC spokesperson announced, “Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be preempted indefinitely.”
The clip of Kimmel’s monologue has since been viewed more than 3.4 million times, as well as received thousands of comments. As said by one, “ABC caved over THIS? Beyond weak.”
Another wrote, “When I heard ABC had cancelled this show over this monologue, I was expecting a tasteless joke about Kirk’s death. But this is only making fun of Trump for not actually caring. WTF!”
“First Colbert, now Kimmel… What kind of message are these companies sending about freedom of speech?” added a third, while a fourth commented, “It’s wild how tame this is.”
Has Jimmy Kimmel responded to the news?
Kimmel himself has not publicly commented on the news just yet. Right now, there’s speculation over whether the TV host could take out a lawsuit against the networks or even the government in violation of free speech laws.
Many have also referenced the fact that CBS announced The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end earlier this year.
The company argued that it was a financial decision, but critics have pointed to the Paramount (CBS’ parent company) and Skydance merger, which had to be approved by the Trump administration. Colbert has been a longtime critic of Trump, with some suggesting the move was political.
Taking to X/Twitter, California governor Gavin Newsom wrote, “Buying and controlling media platforms. Firing commentators. Canceling shows. These aren’t coincidences. It’s coordinated. And it’s dangerous.
“The GOP does not believe in free speech. They are censoring you in real time.”
Actor and Severance director Ben Stiller shared the Kimmel news, adding, “This isn’t right.” Comedian Wanda Sykes suggested Trump “did end freedom of speech within his first year. Hey, for those of you who pray, now’s the time to do it. Love you, Jimmy.”
Redditors have since asked lawyers to comment on whether Kimmel could sue, writing, “Based on Jimmy Kimmel being fired one day after the FCC chair threatened to go after ABC if they didn’t fire him, is there a sufficient legal case for Jimmy Kimmel to sue the US government for violation of the First Amendment?”
One replied, “My understanding is Kimmel isn’t fired, just suspended. If he was fired his main target of litigation would be Disney, for breach of his contract. But if they’re still paying him, it makes it unproductive for him to sue.
“If he had proof Disney executives were acting due to pressure from the government, applied over a desire to suppress the expression of a viewpoint, Kimmel could sue the government. It would be difficult to prove this.
“However, even if he did – it is unlikely a court would view a proper remedy to the government’s illegal act a restoration of Kimmel to his job.”
Another commented, “He can absolutely sue. In order to prevail he’ll need to be able to show that the federal government’s pressuring ABC was the main impetus for his adverse employment action.”
A third added, “Whether his firing was allowed depends on his contract with ABC, but people get fired all the time for comments that don’t align with the company’s image (i.e., people who post racist comments on social media often get fired when the comments are brought to light).
“Free speech prevents him from being arrested or sued for his comments, they don’t protect his job.”