In a previously unreported element regarding Jimmy Kimmel's brief suspension from ABC, it has come to light that representatives from Sinclair Broadcast Group reached out to Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, in hopes of securing an apology from the late-night host. Erika Kirk disclosed this correspondence during an interview excerpt with Fox News host Jesse Watters, which is set to air in full on Wednesday, November 5, at 8 PM during Fox News' Jesse Watters Primetime.
In the interview excerpt, Watters posed a direct question to Kirk: “Jimmy Kimmel lied about your husband’s murder and didn’t really apologize, what would you say to Jimmy Kimmel?” Kirk's response was clear and firm. She stated, “Same thing I told Sinclair. They asked, I haven’t really told anybody this, so they asked, ‘do you want Jimmy to give you an apology? Do you want to be on a show? How can we make it right?’ Through our team, I responded, I said, tell them thank you, we received their note. This is not our issue, not our mess. If you want to say I’m sorry to someone who’s grieving, go right ahead. But if that’s not in your heart, don’t do it. I don’t want it. I don’t need it.”
Jimmy Kimmel faced suspension from ABC following a poorly articulated and seemingly insensitive comment regarding the reaction to Charlie Kirk’s tragic assassination. This decision was significantly influenced by major ABC affiliate owners, including Nexstar and Sinclair, who publicly expressed their discontent with Kimmel's remarks and threatened to preempt his show. Although the suspension was brief, Kimmel made his return the following week, where he delivered an extended monologue addressing both his original comments and the public's reaction to his suspension.
During his return, Kimmel emphasized, “I do want to make something clear because it’s important to me as a human that you understand it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.” He further clarified, “Nor was my intent to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously 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 ill-timed or unclear or maybe both. 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’d feel the same way.”
The outreach by Sinclair to Kirk highlights the depth of their involvement in discussions with Disney regarding Kimmel's comments. Following Kimmel's return, both Sinclair and Nexstar continued to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live!, although these preemptions were not sustained for long. Sinclair stated that it had been engaging with ABC about various solutions to address viewer concerns, though ABC did not adopt any of their proposals.
In a statement, Sinclair mentioned, “In our ongoing and constructive discussions with ABC, Sinclair proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman.” They expressed that these suggestions were intended as collaborative efforts between ABC affiliates and the ABC network. Sinclair acknowledged ABC and Disney's right to make their own decisions under network affiliate agreements, but they firmly believe that such measures could enhance trust and accountability among viewers.
