Jimmy Fallon returned to late-night television on Thursday, September 18, just one day after fellow host Jimmy Kimmel’s show was pulled from the air indefinitely.
At the top of The Tonight Show, Fallon, 50, directly addressed the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! following mounting pressure from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
“Well guys, the big story is that Jimmy Kimmel was suspended by ABC after pressure from the FCC, leaving everyone thinking WTF,” Fallon told his studio audience. “This morning I woke up to 100 text messages from my dad saying, ‘I’m sorry they canceled your show.’ I go, ‘That’s not me, that’s Jimmy Kimmel.’ But to be honest with you all, I don’t know what’s going on and no one does, but I do know Jimmy Kimmel, and he is a decent, loving and funny guy, and I hope he comes back.”
Jimmy Fallon went on to push back against fears of censorship in late-night television. “A lot of people are worried that we won’t keep saying what we want to say or that we’ll be censored, but I’m going to cover the president’s trip to the U.K. like I normally would,” he said before launching into his signature political humor.
As Jimmy Fallon began his monologue on President Donald Trump’s three-day trip overseas, he repeatedly trailed off while his announcer interjected with flattering voiceovers, praising Trump’s looks, tie length, and even his hair. The satirical bit ended with the announcer proclaiming, “I hereby nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize,” to which Fallon quipped, “And you can quote me on that! See, we can still say what we want.”
Hours before the episode aired, Jimmy Fallon unexpectedly dropped out of a scheduled event at the Fast Company Innovation Festival in New York City, where he was slated to appear alongside marketing executive Bozoma St. John to promote his upcoming NBC series On Brand.
“Unfortunately, Jimmy Fallon is no longer able to attend today’s session,” festival organizers said in a statement. Representatives declined to provide additional details about his absence.
Jimmy Kimmel, 57, was abruptly suspended on Wednesday, September 17, after controversial remarks he made earlier in the week about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. ABC confirmed that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be “pre-empted indefinitely,” with a rerun of Celebrity Family Feud filling the time slot.
The controversy stemmed from Jimmy Kimmel’s September 15 monologue, during which he addressed the shooting of Kirk at a Utah Valley University event. Tyler Robinson, Kirk’s alleged killer, is currently facing capital aggravated murder charges, among several other serious counts.
Jimmy Kimmel criticized what he called attempts to politicize the tragedy. “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 with everything they can to score political points from,” he said.
Later in the segment, Kimmel mocked Trump’s response to Kirk’s death, suggesting the former president was more concerned with ballroom renovations at the White House than mourning his friend. “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend,” Kimmel said. “This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
The comments drew sharp backlash. Nexstar Media, which owns a large network of television affiliates, condemned Kimmel’s remarks in a statement to Variety, saying they “strongly” objected to his “recent comments concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk.” Reports soon followed that the company was prepared to cut ties with the show entirely.
With Jimmy Kimmel sidelined and speculation about censorship growing, Fallon’s pointed but comedic reassurance attempted to strike a balance between solidarity with his peer and a reminder of late-night’s tradition of sharp political satire.
Whether Jimmy Kimmel will return to the air and under what conditions remains uncertain. For now, ABC has offered no timeline, leaving the late-night landscape in flux as rival hosts weigh how to navigate the controversy.