Jimmy Kimmel tears up on return, says he 'never' meant to make light of Charlie Kirk's death

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jimmy Kimmel fought back tears as he returned to ABC’s late-night lineup on Tuesday, September 23, after a nearly week-long suspension of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' over controversial remarks about the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The host opened with an emotional monologue clarifying his comments, while ABC’s affiliates and the Walt Disney Company navigated ongoing backlash over the incident.

Jimmy Kimmel explains previous comments to viewers

Jimmy Kimmel addressed viewers directly, explaining that his previous comments had been misinterpreted. “I have no illusions about changing anyone’s mind, but I do want to make something clear… it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” he said, voice breaking.

Kimmel grew emotional and broke into tears during his monologue as he shared his experience of reaching out to Kirk's family on social media.

He referenced his Instagram post from the day of Kirk’s killing, adding that he “still” sends love to Kirk’s family and never intended to “blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual.”

He also acknowledged the criticism, saying, “To some that felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both. And for those who think I did point a finger… I get why you’re upset. If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I’d have felt the same way.”

Kimmel welcomed actor Glenn Powell and singer Sarah McLachlan on his comeback episode. Powell said he was “honored” to be the first guest and “glad” the host was back. McLachlan performed a song but did not address the controversy onstage.

The host ended the show on a wry note, joking, “I think we’ll be back tomorrow night, see you then.”

Donald Trump slams ABC for reinstating Jimmy Kimmel

On Monday, Disney confirmed 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' would return to air after being pulled on September 17. “We made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” the company said in a statement. “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.”

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump lashed out at ABC over its decision to bring Jimmy Kimmel back to late-night television after his suspension, accusing the network of bias and poor judgment.

"I can't believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back. The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Contemplating the network’s decision, Trump continued, "Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his ‘talent’ was never there. Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who's not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE. He is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution."

Despite the official return, affiliate broadcasters Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group declined to air the program. Sinclair announced via X that it would “replace the show with news programming” while discussions with ABC continue.