ABC/Warner Bros.Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to ABC last night (September 23) for the first time since he was suspended, with an episode that featured a lengthy monologue and celebrity guests – but was one of them Robert De Niro?
For context, ABC announced it was pulling the chat show from the air “indefinitely” last week. It came just hours after FCC chairman Brendan Carr criticized Kimmel’s September 15 episode, which slammed Donald Trump’s response to Charlie Kirk’s death.
The news garnered a loud response – netizens enacted a ’boycott ABC’ action plan, while more than 400 high-profile celebrities signed an open letter by the American Civil Liberties Union condemning the move and supporting free speech.
Following this, Disney-owned ABC brought the show back on air last night (aside from its affiliate stations owned by Sinclair and Nexstar, which maintain the ban). And one of the celebrities who signed the letter showed up with a new skit.
Was Robert De Niro on Jimmy Kimmel Live?
Yes, during the monologue of last night’s episode, the Oscar-winning actor made an appearance in which he poked fun at Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr.
The skit came up when Kimmel addressed the fact that Sinclair and Nexstar still refuse to air the show after the pressure these stations received from Carr (Nexstar is currently seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion acquisition of the media company Tegna).
“We were in the middle, and in a lot of ways still are in the middle, of an unprecedented fix. After almost 23 years on the air, we’re suddenly not being broadcast in 20% of the country, which is not a situation we relish,” Kimmel says.
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“So, we reached out to the chairman of the FCC, Brendan Carr. He has, to his credit, agreed to join us from his office in Washington, and here he is now.”
The camera cuts to what we initially think is going to be Carr, but instead we’re met with De Niro, who gives a tongue-in-cheek bit pretending to be the new FCC chairman.
He starts by addressing Whoopi Goldberg, who recently broke her silence on the situation during an episode of The View.
ABC“You tell Whoopi [Goldberg] over there that she better show some respect, or the only view she’ll be getting is from under George Washington – the bridge, not the guy,” he says.
The Goodfellas star goes on to joke he was appointed by “Sir Trump”, before Kimmel asks him what he thinks about the comments from Ted Cruz and other celebrities that the FCC is using mob tactics to suppress free speech.
“What the f**k did you just say to me?” De Niro replies. Kimmel then points out that he can’t swear or else they’ll get fined by the FCC, to which he responds, “I am the FCC. I can say whatever the f**k I want.”
“Speech, it ain’t free no more. We’re charging by the word now,” De Niro continues. When Kimmel asks how much, he quips, “It depends on what you wanna say.”
“Like, you want to say something nice about the president’s beautiful thick yellow hair or how he can do his makeup better than any broad, that’s free… But if you want to do a joke like ‘he’s so fat, he needs two seats on the Epstein jet’, that’s going to cost.”
The Taxi Driver actor also jokes that the FCC has a new saying, “Stick and stones may break your bones”… that’s it. Words “can harm you now. Let’s make sure you pick the right words, capeesh?”
In the final part of the skit, De Niro pretends he gets a call from Trump, calling him “handsome”, before taking aim at the president’s unfounded claims this week about the pain relief medication Tylenol.
After putting down the phone, he says, “I gotta go, a couple of cases of Tylenol fell off a truck and now I’ve got to figure out how to put autism in them.”
The monologue itself has gone viral, with the video being viewed more than 8.4 million times since it was uploaded to YouTube nine hours ago.
Celebrities write open letter in support of free speech after FCC decision
Creative CommonsDe Niro was one of 400 celebrities who signed the ACLU letter written in support of Kimmel and free speech, joining the likes of Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and Pedro Pascal.
The letter reads: “We the people must never accept government threats to our freedom of speech. Efforts by leaders to pressure artists, journalists, and companies with retaliation for their speech strike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country.
“Last week, Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air after the government threatened a private company with retaliation, marking a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.
“In an attempt to silence its critics, our government has resorted to threatening the livelihoods of journalists, talk show hosts, artists, creatives, and entertainers across the board.
“This runs counter to the values our nation was built upon, and our Constitution guarantees. We know this moment is bigger than us and our industry.
“Teachers, government employees, law firms, researchers, universities, students and so many more are also facing direct attacks on their freedom of expression.
ABC“Regardless of our political affiliation, or whether we engage in politics or not, we all love our country. We also share the belief that our voices should never be silenced by those in power – because if it happens to one of us, it happens to all of us.
“This is the moment to defend free speech across our nation. We encourage all Americans to join us, along with the ACLU, in the fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights.”
De Niro has received praise for his bit on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, with one writing on X/Twitter, “Robert De Niro on Jimmy Kimmel last night, SUPERB!” Another said, “I love you, Robert De Niro,” while sharing a clip of the sketch.
“De Niro bit was an all timer, so well done,” added a third on Reddit, with a fourth chiming in, “De Niro is great!”
In the meantime, read about if Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? has been canceled by ABC and if Disney is losing money over the controversy.