400 Celebrities Unite to Condemn Jimmy Kimmel Suspension and Defend Free Speech

A wave of Hollywood stars is standing up for free speech after Disney announced it would pull Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show from its schedule.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, more than 400 celebrities have signed an open letter condemning the suspension and warning of the impact on Americans’ rights to speak freely.

The letter, organized by the ACLU, warns that efforts to punish artists, journalists, and public figures for expressing opinions “strike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country.”

In the statement, ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero said, “We now find ourselves in a modern McCarthy era, facing exactly the type of heavy-handed government censorship our Constitution rightfully forbids. The silencing of Jimmy Kimmel and jawboning of media outlets through lawsuits and threats to their licenses evoke dark memories of the 1950s.”

“We must remember, however, that Senator McCarthy was ultimately disgraced and neutralized once Americans mobilized and stood up to him. We must do the same today because, together, our voices are louder and, together, we will fight to be heard.”

Among the signatories are Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Bateman, and Martin Short. Other prominent names include Ariana DeBose, Jane Fonda, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Regina King, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Diego Luna, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Natalie Portman, Florence Pugh, Adam Scott, Bryan Cranston, Pedro Pascal, Selena Gomez, Noah Wyle, and Michael Keaton. Many of these actors have worked on projects distributed by Disney, including Marvel films, Hulu series, and FX shows.

Disney’s decision came after Nexstar Media, one of the largest TV station owners in the U.S., said it would pre-empt airings of Kimmel’s program following comments he made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Sinclair, another major station owner, also announced plans to keep the show off its networks.

The ACLU and the celebrities argue that actions like these threaten freedom of expression and have broad implications for artists, journalists, and the public. The open letter urges Americans to actively defend the right to speak freely.

This moment shows that many in Hollywood are willing to challenge what they see as attempts to silence voices in media. Do you agree with the celebrities’ stance on free speech and Kimmel’s suspension? Share your thoughts in the comments.