Jimmy Kimmel defends remarks: Says he ‘never intended to make light’ of Charlie Kirk’s death

Jimmy Kimmel has insisted it was “never [his] intention to make light of” Charlie Kirk’s death.

The 57-year-old presenter looked emotional as he delivered his lengthy monologue to open the first Jimmy Kimmel Live! show since the long-running ABC chat programme was pulled off the air last week following his comments about right-wing activist Kirk – who was gunned down in Utah on September 10 – and Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man accused of killing him.

At the start of Tuesday’s episode, Kimmel said: “I do want to make something clear because it’s important to me as a human, and that is you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man.”

After he received an applause from the audience, the choked-up star continued: “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.

“I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed, sending love to his family and asking for compassion, and I meant it, I still do.

“Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what – it was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but I understand that 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 feel the same way.

“I have many friends and family members on the ‘other side’, who I love and remain close to, even though we don’t agree on politics at all.

“But I don’t think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone, this was a sick person who believed violence was a solution, and it isn’t – ever!”

He continued: “And also selfishly, I am a person who gets a lot of threats. I get many ugly and scary threats against my life, my wife, my kids, my co-workers, because of what I choose to say, and I know those threats don’t come from the kind of people on the right who I know and love.

“So, that’s what I wanted to say on that subject.”But I don’t want to make this about me – and I know this is what people say when they make things about them – this show is not important.

“What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.”

Kimmel also thanked “everyone who checked in”, including his “fellow late and night talk show hosts”, such as his “friend” Stephen Colbert, 61, whose The Late Show programme has been axed by CBS, with the final episode to air in May 2026, and he stressed the importance of free speech.

He said: “I’ve had the opportunity to meet and spend time with comedians and talk show hosts from countries like Russia, countries in the Middle East, who tell me they would get thrown in prison for making fun of those in power and worse than being thrown in prison.

“They know how lucky we are here. Our freedom to speak is what they admire most about this country.”

Kimmel was suspended following the broadcast of his show on September 15 in which he talking about the killing, saying: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang [Make America Great Again] gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it. In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”

Bang Showbiz