Ellen DeGeneres led the stars reacting to the reinstatement of Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show following his controversial suspension. Shortly after ABC announced it was reversing its decision to suspend *Jimmy Kimmel Live!*, the retired comedian, 67, shared her thoughts on social media.
DeGeneres, known for her own successful talk show, joined numerous celebrities in voicing support for Kimmel and celebrating the announcement on Monday. Last week, ABC had taken down Kimmel’s show “indefinitely” in response to controversial comments he made about conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.
Though ABC is putting Kimmel’s show back on the air, plans for his comeback, including a secret monologue revealed by insiders, have been disrupted. Sinclair Inc., a major ABC affiliate, remains firm on its policy to keep the show off their air.
“Cannot wait to hear @JimmyKimmel’s monologue tomorrow,” DeGeneres wrote on Instagram, sharing a screenshot of the news. Her post came as fellow late-night hosts addressed the situation during their Monday night monologues.
Maria Shriver also responded to the announcement on X (formerly Twitter), tweeting: “My, oh my! & So the story continues.” She shared the news on Instagram as well, penning a thoughtful caption about fostering “more open dialogue” and finding “a way out of cancel culture.”
“@JimmyKimmel returns to the airwaves tomorrow night after ABC decided last week to ‘indefinitely’ suspend @JimmyKimmelLive,” Shriver began. “None of us know what went on behind the scenes, but for sure we know business was at the heart of it,” she added.
“Maybe now that ABC has made a bold decision to allow someone back, other organizations and companies who fired people will do the same,” Shriver continued. “Maybe this is a way out of cancel culture and into a more open dialogue that will help us all come together, to better understand one another. Because that’s our only hope: forgiveness, open dialogue, and understanding. #abovethenoise.”
Actress Alyssa Milano, known for *Charmed*, also shared a screenshot of the news, emphasizing the importance of activism: “Protest matters. Use your voice.”
Meanwhile, *Scandal* star Joshua Malina expressed cautious optimism about Kimmel’s return, tweeting: “Boom. I am not. I think it’s early to know how this all ultimately plays out.”
Comedian Gianmarco Soresi joked on X, “Ironically this whole fiasco is gonna do wonders for Jimmy Kimmel’s ratings.”
Piers Morgan added his perspective on X: “Wow. so, Kimmel wasn’t cancelled by Trump or the FCC after all but temporarily suspended by his employer because they thought what he said was ill-timed and insensitive.”
Several of Kimmel’s late-night talk show colleagues also weighed in on the reversal of the controversial suspension.
Seth Meyers, host of NBC’s *Late Night*, called the decision a result of a “massive national backlash to Trump’s crackdown on free speech, even among conservatives.” Opening his Monday night segment *A Closer Look*, he joked about his show’s security and network affiliation.
“Donald Trump is publicly calling on his attorney general to prosecute his political enemies and said TV networks that criticize him should lose their broadcast license,” Meyers said. “But that’s not us, right? We’re good? What, we’re on a network? But I don’t even wear a suit. This is a network? I thought we only aired on those gas station TVs.”
Meyers also pointed out that making jokes about politicians is not exclusive to Trump and his administration.
“We make jokes about politicians and people in the news, including Joe Biden. It was just harder with Joe Biden because he didn’t say much,” he quipped. “You, on the other hand, talk all the time. You never stop talking. You didn’t stop talking when he was president. You’ve talked more than all the other Presidents combined ever.”
He added, “People say Johnny Carson didn’t make this many jokes about politics, but he would have if every time he spoke, Ronald Reagan did 15 minutes on how toilets don’t flush well anymore.”
Stephen Colbert addressed the news of Kimmel’s return on *The Late Show*, saying, “Just a few hours before we taped this broadcast, we got word that our long national late-nightmare is over because Disney announced that *Jimmy Kimmel Live!* will return to air.”
“This is wonderful news for my dear friend Jimmy and his staff. I’m so happy for them. Plus, now that Jimmy’s not being canceled, I get to enjoy [my Emmy],” Colbert joked. “Once more, I am the only martyr in late-night. Wait, unless CBS, you want to announce anything?”
Earlier on Monday, Disney released a statement explaining their decision to reverse the suspension:
“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. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. 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.”
This announcement follows the indefinite preemption of *Jimmy Kimmel Live!* last week after backlash over Kimmel’s comments about the shooter who murdered Charlie Kirk. During his Monday evening monologue, Kimmel had said:
“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 with everything they can to score political points from it.”
The reversal of Kimmel’s suspension reignites discussions about cancel culture, free speech, and the responsibilities of public figures in moments of national tension. As reactions continue to pour in from across the entertainment industry and beyond, the coming days will reveal how the situation ultimately unfolds.
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