Jimmy Kimmel says his Charlie Kirk remarks were 'maliciously mischaracterized'

Jimmy Kimmel figured his ABC late-night amusement was toast during past month’s firestorm implicit his comments aft blimpish activistic Charlie Kirk’s shooting.

“I said to my wife: ‘That’s it. It’s over,’” Kimmel recalled Wednesday nighttime astatine the Bloomberg Screentime media league successful Hollywood successful a lengthy sit-down interrogation 3 weeks aft the controversy.

The 57-year-old comedian has each on believed his statements astir the Kirk shooting were misconstrued. But helium recognized his amusement was successful heavy occupation connected Sept. 17 erstwhile his bosses benched him and 2 ABC affiliate presumption owners, Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group, initially refused to aerial the program.

Kimmel provided caller details astir his dealings with Walt Disney Co. brass, his affectional hiatus and the late-night tv concern successful the aftermath of rival CBS announcing it was canceling “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” adjacent spring.

Kimmel declined to accidental whether helium would widen his agelong ABC tally erstwhile his declaration is up successful May, but helium acknowledged an involvement successful producing different projects.

Kimmel’s aboriginal was successful uncertainty past period aft his comments and the governmental backlash spawned boisterous protests that shone a airy connected 1st Amendment freedoms, the relation of the Federal Communications Commission and the challenges facing Disney arsenic it looks for a caller person to regenerate Chief Executive Bob Iger adjacent year.

The contention began with his Sept. 15 monologue erstwhile Kimmel said Trump supporters “are desperately trying to qualify this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk arsenic thing different than 1 of them and doing everything they tin to people governmental points from it.” Right-wing influencers howled; FCC Chairman Brendan Carr called Kimmel’s actions “the sickest behaviour possible.”

The sentiment helium was trying to convey “was intentionally, and I deliberation maliciously, mischaracterized,” Kimmel said.

He didn’t consciousness the archetypal fallout was “a large problem,” but alternatively a “distortion connected the portion of immoderate of the right-wing media networks,” helium said.

Kimmel had planned to clarify his remarks Sept. 17, but Disney executives feared the comedian was dug successful and would lone inflame the tense situation. That night, astir an hr earlier showtime, Disney deed intermission and released a connection saying the amusement had been preempted “indefinitely.”

He was disconnected the aerial for 4 days.

“I tin sometimes beryllium aggressive. I tin sometimes beryllium unpleasant,” helium said.

A protester calls for the instrumentality of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” aft Walt Disney Co. yanked the ABC comedian successful September implicit comments helium made astir the shooting of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

He recognized the show’s precarious presumption erstwhile Sinclair and Nexstar bailed. He recalled an occurrence from aboriginal successful his vocation erstwhile helium made a gag astir boisterous Detroit hoops fans, saying “They’re gonna pain the metropolis of Detroit down if the Pistons win,” truthful helium hoped the Lakers would prevail.

The remark riled up the Motor City, prompting the section ABC affiliate to concisely shelve Kimmel’s show.

An ABC enforcement astatine the clip told Kimmel the nonaccomplishment of the Detroit marketplace could beryllium catastrophic. That pales successful examination with the threatened nonaccomplishment of Nexstar and Sinclair, which ain dozens of stations, including successful specified ample markets arsenic Seattle, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.

“The thought that I would not person ... 40 affiliates [stations] ... I was like, ‘Well, that’s it,’” Kimmel said.

But helium said helium “was not going to spell along” with demands made by presumption broadcasters.

Sinclair, a right-leaning broadcaster, said successful a connection it would not aerial Kimmel until helium issued “a nonstop apology to the Kirk family” and “make a meaningful idiosyncratic donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA,” the right-wing radical Kirk founded.

Both Sinclair and Nexstar resumed airing the amusement Sept. 26. ABC offered nary concessions.

Kimmel complimented Dana Walden, Disney’s co-chair of entertainment, for handling the crisis, saying she was instrumental successful helping him benignant done his emotions.

“I ruined Dana’s weekend. It was conscionable nonstop telephone calls each weekend,” Kimmel said, saying helium doubted the concern would person turned retired truthful good “if I hadn’t talked to Dana arsenic overmuch arsenic I did, due to the fact that it helped maine deliberation everything through, and it helped maine conscionable benignant of recognize wherever everyone was coming from.”

When asked who mightiness go the adjacent CEO of Disney, Kimmel said it would beryllium “foolish” to reply that question.

“But I hap to emotion Dana Walden precise much, and I deliberation she’s done a large job,” Kimmel said.

Throughout the controversy, Walden and Iger were skewered by critics who asserted the institution was caving to President Trump, who has made it wide that he’s nary Kimmel fan. The Disney leaders were accused of “corporate capitulation.”

“What has happened implicit the past 3 weeks ... was precise unfair to my bosses astatine Disney,” Kimmel said. “It [was] insane, and I anticipation that we drew a truly bold reddish enactment arsenic Americans astir what we volition and volition not accept.”

Kimmel returned Sept. 23 with an affectional monologue that championed the 1st Amendment.

Ratings soared earlier returning to Earth.

The contention — and CBS’ upcoming cancellation of Colbert — has focused caller attraction connected the taste clout of late-night hosts, contempt the industry’s falling ratings.

Millions of viewers present ticker monologues and different late-night gags the pursuing time connected YouTube, which means networks that nutrient the shows person mislaid invaluable gross due to the fact that Google controls overmuch of that advertising.

Networks admit that the late-night artifact is challenged, but Kimmel said specified shows inactive matter.

He scoffed astatine reports that mention unnamed sources suggesting Colbert’s amusement was connected way to suffer $40 cardinal this year.

“If [CBS] mislaid $40 million, they would person canceled it already,” Kimmel said. “I cognize what the budgets for these shows are,” alluding to the ABC, CBS and NBC shows.

“If we’re losing truthful overmuch money, nary of america would beryllium on,” helium said. “That’s benignant of each you request to know.”