Jimmy Kimmel’s secret monologue could challenge Disney or spark crew mutiny: Report

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Jimmy Kimmel might just be walking back into a minefield.

The late-night host could be facing a mutiny from his crew if he doesn’t slam Disney for suspending his show after his hot-button remarks about conservative leader Charlie Kirk’s shooting death.

Staffers expect Jimmy Kimmel to 'come out swinging'

Insiders told the Daily Mail that staffers expect Kimmel to “come out swinging” when he returns to the air on September 23. The 57-year-old’s ABC show, 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!,' was abruptly put on ice last week after his comments about Kirk’s death sparked outrage.

Disney announced on September 22 that the show would return following several days of tense talks with the host, but no one knows if Kimmel plans to go quietly or throw punches. A source told the Daily Mail that the content of Kimmel’s opening monologue is under lock and key.

“We won’t know what he’s doing to say to address it; they’re going to keep that secret, but I can tell you he’s not going to roll over and just take it," they said. "The last week has made his balls bigger, not smaller. I expect him to come out swinging, and I think everyone here does. We are depending on him to stand up for what’s right. If he doesn’t, there will be a mutiny."

Jimmy Kimmel returns for his crew, not ABC

Another insider insisted Kimmel isn’t returning to make ABC happy, but rather for the people who keep his show running.

“He is coming back for everyone that works for him and out of respect for them, he wanted everyone in his crew not to miss any pay and any more work than they already have missed,” the source explained.

“As much as he wanted to leave ABC and expected not to be coming back at all, he is happy that the people he works with will have some time to figure out their next steps, because what this taught Jimmy was that he might not be leaving ABC now, he will once his contract is up unless they offer him a boatload of money,” the insider continued.

“He is mad at them for doing this to him and his team, and tomorrow will be must-see TV. He is going to give us a glimpse of what he has been dealing with the last few days, and we will all know what his plans are for the future. He isn’t going to take this lying down," they added.

Jimmy Kimmel suspended after rant over Charlie Kirk shooting

It all started last Monday when Kimmel went off on what he called “the MAGA gang.”

“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,” he said on-air. “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving on Friday. The White House flew the flags at half-staff, which got some criticism, but on a human level, you can see how hard the president is taking this.”

Kimmel then aired a clip of Trump’s response to a question about coping with Kirk’s death, in which the president began bragging about new construction at the White House. 

The backlash was immediate. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr warned ABC and Disney that they could face consequences. Within hours, more than a dozen affiliates flat-out refused to air Kimmel’s show until the controversy was addressed.

That’s when Disney and top ABC executives yanked 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' “indefinitely.”

Disney says Jimmy Kimmel’s show paused to ease tensions

Disney tried to calm the storm with a carefully worded statement announcing Kimmel’s return.

“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,” the company said. “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.”

However, no details were provided about what viewers can expect when the lights go back on.

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