Jimmy Kimmel Is ‘Not Going to Back Down’ From Disney, Could Lash Out in Opening Monologue

He’s baaack! Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show will return less than a week after news broke that ABC‘s parent company, Disney, pulled it off the air following comments the host made about the person accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk.

On Sept. 17, ABC announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be “preempted indefinitely.” The decision led to an outcry about free speech in America from celebrities, fans, and politicians alike. However, not all of ABC’s affiliated stations will be carrying Kimmel’s comeback show as Sinclair, one of the country’s largest owners of local TV stations, is not yet on board with bringing the program back.

A Sinclair spokesperson told CNN: “Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return.”

But many of those in an area who will get to see Kimmel’s return are wondering what he will say. Will he directly address what happened in his opening monologue? Will he tiptoe around Disney’s decision with a few wink, wink jokes? Or will he ignore it all altogether and act like it’s just another day at the office?

For anyone thinking Kimmel is going to “back down” without any mention of what happened, that likely won’t be the case, according to sources who spoke to the Daily Mail. They claimed that Kimmel is going to “come out swinging,” saying, “I can tell you he’s not going to roll over and just take it.” 

Entertainment commentator and podcast host Kinsey Schofield told Sky News, “The specifics of Kimmel’s opening monologue on Tuesday remain under wraps, and it’s unclear whether he will directly address the suspension. One insider said they don’t know exactly how he’ll handle it, but he’s definitely not going to back down. The past week has only made him bolder. They say that he really didn’t want to come back, that he wanted to quit on principle.”