Canadian celebrities are taking to social media to throw their support behind American talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, after his show was pulled for controversial remarks he made about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Kimmel, who’s hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live” since 2003, had his show indefinitely pre-empted after his Monday monologue included a reference to the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, in light of the assassination.
“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, and with everything they can, to score political points from it,” Kimmel said about accused shooter Tyler Robinson.
His show was suspended shortly after Nexstar Communications Group said it was pulling it from 23 ABC affiliates starting on Wednesday.
The news drew reaction and support from many high profile figures, including late night hosts like David Letterman and Jimmy Fallon, and politicians like former U.S. president Barack Obama and former vice-president Kamala Harris.
Several Canadian comedians and actors took to social media to voice their concerns.
On Thursday, Regina-born “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” star Tatiana Maslany posted a photo to her Instagram stories urging fans to cancel their Disney+, Hulu and ESPN subscriptions in protest of ABC’s decision. “She-Hulk” is a Disney+ Marvel production.
Canadian media personality George Stroumboulopoulos posted a photo on his Instagram story of himself with Kimmel, along with a song by the Ramones about censorship.
Quebec-born, L.A.-based comedian Debra DiGiovanni shared a video on her Instagram stories of a call from fellow comedian Laurie Kilmartin to protest out front of the Disney studio gates in Burbank, California.
Protestors have also been gathering outside El Capitan Entertainment Center, where Kimmel’s show is recorded for broadcast, Reuters coverage showed.
L.A.-based comedian and actor Mae Martin, originally from Toronto, reposted a video from actor Ilana Glazer talking about their fear of what’s happening in the face of Kimmel’s suspension.
“I’m feeling very scared today,” Glazer said in a front-facing post. “We’ve been increasingly under authoritarian rule culturally and now officially in our government for the past 10 years.”
In a series of posts on X, Canadian comedian Mike Ward said the decision to take Kimmel off the air was “100 per cent political.”
“USA was THE global symbol of free speech, it’s turning into a pale copy of a once great nation. Shame on you America,” Ward wrote.
U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr blasted Kimmel’s comments as “truly sick,” and warned that his agency has a strong case for holding the comedian, ABC and parent company Disney responsible for spreading misinformation.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has been celebrating the move, taking to Truth Social to congratulate ABC “for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”
With files from the Canadian Press
