The Fall and Return of Late-Night Giants: Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert Break Their Silence

Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert are speaking out about the recent late-night shakeup that rocked the entertainment world.

Exactly one week after Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to television following a highly publicized suspension, Kimmel sat down with fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert on The Late Show on Tuesday, Sept. 30, offering his most candid and emotional account of the ordeal yet.

“It was about 3 o’clock, we tape our show at 4:30,” Kimmel recalled. “I’m in my office, typing away, I get a phone call. It’s ABC. They say they want to talk to me. This is unusual. They — as far as I knew — didn’t even know I was doing a show before this.”

Kimmel described how, with limited privacy in his office, he took the call in the bathroom.

“They said, ‘Listen, we want to take the temperature down. We’re concerned about what you’re going to say tonight, and we decided that the best route is to take the show off the air.’”

As Colbert’s audience booed in response, Kimmel added, “That’s what I said! I started booing too.”

Despite his protests, the decision was final.

“Then there was a vote and I lost the vote,” he said with a smirk.

Caught Off Guard

“I put my pants back on, and I walked out to my office, and I called in some of the executive producers,” Kimmel continued. “There are about nine people in there. And I said, ‘They’re pulling the show off the air.’ My wife said I was white — whiter than Jim Gaffigan — when I came out of there.”

What made the moment even more surreal was the fact that the audience and guests were already in place.

“The audience was loaded in and ready. We had a chef, Christian Petroni, cooking meatballs and polenta that night. Howard Jones was taping a musical performance that was set to air later. The song? ‘Things Can Only Get Better.’”

The Controversy That Sparked It All

Kimmel’s suspension stemmed from comments he made on the September 15 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, addressing the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

“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 doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said during the monologue.

He followed with a call for unity:

“Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?”

He also posted a message of condolence on social media, writing:

“On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence.”

Political Fallout and Affiliate Revolt

The monologue triggered intense political backlash. President Trump, 79, threatened an FCC investigation, while major broadcasting groups including Nexstar and Sinclair pulled Kimmel’s show from their ABC affiliate stations.

This came during a time when Nexstar was acquiring Tegna for $6.2 billion, placing it in control of 80% of America’s TV-owning households. The merger still required final FCC approval.

Kimmel’s show was suspended “indefinitely” by ABC, with the network citing a need to “de-escalate tensions.”

The Industry Responds

Hollywood responded swiftly and vocally:

Over 400 celebrities signed a letter defending free speech and supporting Kimmel.
Late-night peers including Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, John Oliver, Jon Stewart, Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, and the co-hosts of The View voiced solidarity.

Meanwhile, Sinclair and Nexstar ended their preemptions on Friday, Sept. 26, citing “thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives.”

Kimmel’s show resumed full national broadcast on September 27.

Colbert’s Perspective

Kimmel’s emotional revelations came just months after CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

CBS’s July statement blamed “financial decisions against a challenging backdrop in late night,” and emphasized that the cancellation had nothing to do with Colbert’s performance.

Still, many insiders linked the decision to similar political and regulatory pressures.

A Late-Night Crossroads

Both Kimmel and Colbert now represent more than just late-night comedy — they are symbols of free expression in an increasingly constrained media environment.

While Kimmel is back on the air, the events of the past month have made one thing clear: the rules of late-night have changed.

And both hosts, whether from a bathroom phone call or a canceled set, are navigating this new era one punchline at a time.