ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel said he never meant to make light of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, remarks that led to his show’s suspension in his first broadcast on Tuesday since Disney announced the program’s return after nearly a week off the air.
Kimmel immediately addressed the situation, while at one point taking time to mention Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, and praise her foregivenss of the man accused of assassinating her husband.
“There was a moment over the weekend, a very beautiful moment. I don’t know if you saw this. On Sunday, Erika Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. She forgave him,” Kimmel said, tearing up.
“That is an example we should follow. If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do, there it was. That’s it. A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply, and I hope it touches many, and if there’s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that,” Kimmel added.
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Jimmy Kimmel: "Erika Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband…That is an example we should follow. If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do, there it was. A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply."pic.twitter.com/kmRrDIKGpz
— Joe Rogan Podcast News (@joeroganhq) September 24, 2025
Earlier, he said, “I’ve been hearing a lot about what I need to say and do tonight, and the truth is, I don’t think what I have to say is going to make much of a difference. If you like me, you like me. If you don’t, you don’t. I have no illusions about changing anyone’s mind.
“But I want to make something clear, because it’s important to me as a human, and that is – you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” he added.
“Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions,” he continued. “It was a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but I understand that, to some, it felt either ill-timed or unclear or maybe both, and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset. If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I would have felt the same way.”
