ABC Station Owners and Advertisers Have Not Clamored to Fire Jimmy Kimmel This Time
Despite backlash from MAGA figures over a joke Jimmy Kimmel made about Melania Trump appearing like an 'expectant widow,' ABC station owners and advertisers have not pressured Disney to take action against him, allowing his show to air as usual. This contrasts with September 2025, when Kimmel was temporarily pulled from the air following similar outrage over comments related to Charlie Kirk’s murder. No apology or disciplinary action has been issued this time, and Disney has resisted indirect pressure, including an unexpected early review of ABC’s broadcast licenses by the FCC. The lack of corporate backlash suggests station affiliates and sponsors are either unswayed by the criticism or hesitant to escalate the issue.
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Jimmy Kimmel Live Randy Holmes/Disney/Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Jimmy Kimmel Live! barely survived September 2025, when the outrage machine called for Kimmel’s head over a monologue joke he made in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder. The joke (an observation, really) was not about Kirk or his assassination, it was about MAGA Republicans scrambling to point their fingers at Democrat rhetoric as the motive behind the shooting.
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