Jimmy Kimmel’s fraternity rallies around him during trying times.
In a show of solidarity, Stephen Colbert has come to the defense of his fellow late-night host after ABC indefinitely pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live!from its lineup. The decision came after Kimmel's remarks about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk sparked controversy.
During a Q&A session before Thursday's taping of The Late Show, Colbert expressed his support for Kimmel, calling ABC's decision "blatant censorship."
"I'll say this for my network. They wouldn’t have done this. Now regardless of what you think, that has already been done and how that looks, this is weak. This is blatant censorship," Colbert said.
Colbert added, "With an autocrat, you cannot give an inch. Jimmy, I stand with you and your staff 100%."
The crowd erupted in applause as Colbert showed his solidarity with Kimmel. This isn't the first time Colbert has faced controversy, having recently navigated the cancellation of his own show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, by CBS.
The controversy surrounding Kimmel's show began after his Monday, September 15, monologue, where he commented on Kirk's death. Kirk, 31, was fatally shot during a speaking event at Utah Valley University on September 10.
Kimmel said, "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterise this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them." However, authorities later confirmed the shooter's far-left ideologies, contradicting Kimmel's claim.
ABC's decision to pull "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" came after Nexstar Media Group, which owns over 200 ABC-affiliated stations, announced it would preempt the show due to Kimmel's comments.