SAG-AFTRA and WGA Defend Jimmy Kimmel After ABC Suspends ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’
Jimmy Kimmel isn’t standing alone in the fallout over ABC’s decision to suspend his late-night show — Hollywood’s biggest unions are backing him up.
SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America (both East and West) have issued strong statements condemning the network for pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air after the host’s controversial comments about Charlie Kirk’s killing.
Kimmel, who is a member of both unions, has long been one of late-night’s most outspoken voices, and the move to sideline him has sparked a firestorm in the entertainment industry.
SAG-AFTRA didn’t hold back in its response, saying the suspension is a dangerous form of censorship. “Our society depends on freedom of expression. Suppression of free speech and retaliation for speaking out on significant issues of public concern run counter to the fundamental rights we all rely on,” the guild said. “The decision to suspend airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! is the type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone’s freedoms.”
The writers guilds also weighed in with a powerful joint statement, blasting both government leaders and corporate bosses for caving to pressure. “The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other – to disturb, even – is at the very heart of what it means to be a free people,” the WGA declared. “Shame on those in government who forget this founding truth. As for our employers, our words have made you rich. Silencing us impoverishes the whole world.”
The strong words highlight how deeply Hollywood sees this controversy as a free speech issue, not just a programming choice. The support from SAG-AFTRA and the WGA shows that Kimmel’s fight is now bigger than late-night comedy — it’s about the ability of artists and writers to speak their truth without fear of retaliation.
While ABC has yet to issue formal guidance on the future of its 11:35 p.m. time slot, one thing is clear: the fight over Kimmel’s suspension is quickly becoming a major battle over creative freedom in Hollywood.
