John Oliver Defends Jimmy Kimmel and Slams Disney Over Suspension

John Oliver devoted most of Sunday’s Last Week Tonight to defending Jimmy Kimmel after Disney pulled the late-night host off the air.

Kimmel was suspended following comments he made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

During his ABC monologue, Kimmel suggested the suspect might be connected to the MAGA movement. That single remark triggered pushback from conservative media and political figures, including FCC chair Brendan Carr, who warned local stations could face consequences if they kept airing the show.

Soon after, major broadcasters like Nexstar and Sinclair announced they would stop running Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Disney then suspended the host indefinitely. Critics from Hollywood and politics accused the company of caving to political pressure.

On his HBO show, Oliver opened by acknowledging Kirk’s death. “A person getting shot is tragic and a person getting shot for their ideas is horrifying,” he said. But Oliver stressed that Kimmel wasn’t mocking Kirk’s murder. Instead, he argued the host simply made a passing comment about rumors that were already spreading.

Oliver pointed out that Kimmel’s first public response after the killing was a message of sympathy: “Can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human? 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.”

Oliver admitted he was on Kimmel’s show the night of the remark and didn’t even notice it at the time. He joked that viewers online also struggled to find what was so offensive, with many saying they rewatched the episode and still couldn’t spot the problem.

The HBO host argued the real reason Kimmel was pulled had less to do with the words he used and more with business and politics. Nexstar, for example, is seeking approval for a merger that depends on FCC approval. Sinclair is also tied to potential deals. Oliver said it was obvious these companies acted quickly to stay on the FCC’s good side.

He criticized Carr for celebrating the suspension by sending reporters emojis and TV gifs. Oliver said that was proof the government pressured companies to silence a TV host. “Carr leaned on broadcasters to take down Kimmel. They did that, sometimes even directly citing Carr while doing so, and then Carr celebrated with a fun GIF,” Oliver said.

Oliver warned that Kimmel’s suspension is a troubling sign. “If the government can force a network to pull a late night show off the air and do so in plain view, it can do a f**** of a lot worse.”

Toward the end, Oliver aimed his message at Disney CEO Bob Iger. He urged Disney not to fold under political pressure and instead defend Kimmel and his staff. He told Iger history would remember not just the politicians behind the censorship, but also the companies that chose to go along.

“At some point, you’re going to have to draw a line, so I’d argue why not draw it right here,” Oliver said. He finished with a blunt suggestion for how Disney should respond: “F**** you, make me.”