‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Mysteriously Pulled Off Air Again Days After Blasting Trump and Melania’s Marriage
Jimmy Kimmel fans tuned in Thursday night expecting to see a new monologue from the late-night host and guest appearances from David Duchovny, Joe Keery, and Madison Beer.
However, ABC ended up re-airing the Oct. 28-dated episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” featuring Tessa Thompson, Daymond John, and The Beths without offering any explanation for the last-minute switch.
The timing raised eyebrows, coming just days after Kimmel’s latest Donald Trump joke, which also took a jab at Melania. Now, fans are speculating whether it was just a coincidence or if the president threw his weight around again, especially following Kimmel’s recent suspension.
Fans panicked online after noticing the change, which was also explained by Grammy Award-nominated recording artist Beer, 26.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, @jimmykimmellive needed to reschedule my performance that was originally scheduled to air tonight to a later date,” she wrote in her Instagram Story, informing her followers that she would not be performing on Thursday’s show.
The “Selfish” singer continued, “I’ll share more details on timing when I can, I can’t wait for you all to see it.” Beer’s statement did not clarify why ABC aired a repeat of “Kimmel” last night.
LateNighter reports the sudden cancellation was due to an unspecified “personal matter.” However, Kimmel’s recent criticism of Trump and his wife inflamed theories about possible retaliation.
“Since Trump installed himself as chairman of the board back in February, tickets at the Kennedy Center have taken a nosedive,” Kimmel, 57, stated during his monologue on Oct. 4.
The Brooklyn-born comedian then made fun of Trump’s marriage to First Lady Melania Trump by adding, “Everything he touches dies. Good news, Melania. You’re going to live forever.”
Trump has made Kimmel one of his favorite targets since retaking the White House for a second, non-consecutive term on Jan. 20.
In September, ABC suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after the host referenced Trump’s nonchalant response to a reporter’s question about late right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, which ignited outrage from conservatives.
Trump celebrated the suspension before ABC reversed its decision. Kimmel was reinstated less than a week later following mass cancellations of Hulu and Disney+ subscriptions in protest.
Kimmel’s temporary absence from the air started a national conversation about Trump trampling free speech. The discussion continued in the wake of Thursday’s show being suddenly pulled.
“Did he make Donny Diapers cry AGAIN?” a Yahoo reader sarcastically wondered in the website’s comment section.
Another, more serious response, focused on Trump’s behavior as president. One person wrote, “Let’s hope it wasn’t due to ongoing weaponization of the government again.”
“Hope everything is okay with the team! Looking forward to the rescheduled episode. Stay strong, Jimmy!” an enthusiastic Kimmel fan expressed.
In contrast, Kimmel’s critics had some harsh reactions to the Emmy Award winner not appearing on TV on Thursday. Someone jokingly asked, “Could it be because nobody tunes in?”
“Please, please, please be cancelled! Can’t blame this one on the president,” a Trump backer commented.
Despite the pushback from Trump and his diehard defenders, Kimmel has not held back when making the Republican president the butt of his televised punchlines.
In particular, Kimmel has blasted the polarizing MAGA leader over his years-long, odd obsession with receiving the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.
The “Smurfs” movie voice actor even wickedly trolled Trump after learning he had a higher approval rating than the sitting president of the United States.
