What did Jimmy Kimmel say about Charlie Kirk and how much was he paid for Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been a staple of late-night American television since launching on ABC in 2003, blending celebrity interviews, topical humour and viral sketches to become a key voice in popular culture.

Across its decades on air, the show has not shied away from political controversy and sharp satire, with Jimmy Kimmel often championing progressive left causes and mocking figures across the political spectrum.

What did Jimmy Kimmel say about Charlie Kirk

In his Monday night monologue Jimmy Kimmel made remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Kimmel accused supporters of US President Donald Trump, whom he referred to as the “MAGA gang”, of trying to portray the suspect responsible for Kirk’s killing as anything other than one of their own. Kimmel said they were “doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

Kimmel also criticised the official response to Kirk’s death, ridiculing the decision to fly flags at half-mast in Kirk’s honour and mocking Mr Trump’s mourning, saying, “This is not how an adult mourns the murder of somebody he called a friend; this is how a toddler grieves for a goldfish.”

Mr Trump, who has been publicly feuding with Kimmel throughout his presidency, praised the “great news” of the suspension on social media. He wrote that the Jimmy Kimmel show was “CANCELLED” and congratulated ABC for “finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”

How much Jimmy Kimmel earns

Jimmy Kimmel was reportedly earning an estimated $16 million ($AU24million) annually for hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live!, making him one of the highest-paid late-night hosts on television in 2025.

With around 170 episodes per season, this breaks down to approximately $88,000 ($132,000) per show.

His net worth is estimated at $50 million ($75 million), built largely from his long-running ABC show along with other comedy and hosting projects.

According to Forbes, Kimmel is ranked 24th highest paid TV host in 2025.

His contract was due to expire mid 2026.

History of controversy on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Historically, Jimmy Kimmel Live! has attracted headlines for segments that push the boundaries of comedy. In 2004, a tasteless joke about Detroit led ABC to suspend Kimmel for a week.

Kimmel joked that if the Detroit Pistons won the championship, “they’re gonna burn the city of Detroit down … and it’s not worth it.”

The joke was referencing riots that had followed previous sports championships in Detroit, including those after the Tigers’ World Series win in 1984 and the Pistons’ NBA Championship in 1990, events that had unfortunately involved property damage and some fatalities.

The remark sparked immediate outrage, especially from Detroit residents and local media. Detroit’s ABC affiliate station, WXYZ-TV, took the dramatic step of not airing Kimmel’s show that night. Hours later, ABC pulled the show from its entire network broadcast schedule for that evening.

Kimmel issued apologies, first on-air and later more formally, acknowledging the insensitivity of the comment and the hurt it caused.

Kimmel’s emotional monologues

Years later in 2010, Kimmel delivered an emotional monologue on health care, inspired after his newborn son was born with a serious heart condition, requiring life-saving surgery.

This positioned Kimmel as an unlikely but effective advocate for the Affordable Care Act, to ensure coverage for all Americans, especially children born with critical conditions.

It sparked national debate in America and criticism from Republican legislators who opposed the bill.

Jimmy Kimmel Oscars

Kimmel’s show again made waves during the #MeToo movement, with his Oscars hosting stints and nightly monologues frequently addressing sexual misconduct and gender inequality in Hollywood.

Donald Trump predicts Kimmel sacking

He has also targeted Donald Trump throughout his presidency, which has resulted in the US President repeatedly criticising Kimmel and predicting, as recently as July 2025, that he would be the next late-night casualty after another show’s cancellation.

in May ABC cancelled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” with Mr Trump suggesting Kimmel was “next”.

“I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings,”Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!”

Kids Table apology

Besides politics, the show has sometimes upset people with offensive sketches and pranks, like the controversial “Kids Table” segment in 2013, which led to apologies from both Kimmel and ABC.

They aired a child suggesting that “killing everyone in China” would be a solution to America’s debt.

Kimmel laughed it off and even joked, “Should we allow the Chinese to live?” sparking outrage particularly from Asian American communities and Chinese viewers.

Protests followed, demanding apologies and removal of the sketch from platforms. ABC issued a formal apology and edited the segment from future airings.

The late-night host’s readiness to take on tough topics and stand up to network or advertiser pressure has often made him a target of both praise and criticism.

The latest controversy marks perhaps the most significant in the show’s history, with Jimmy Kimmel Live! pulled “indefinitely” after comments about the assassination of prominent MAGA activist Charlie Kirk.

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Both ABC and major affiliate group Nexstar acted decisively following backlash from Kimmel’s on-air remarks, with the network citing the need for “respectful, constructive dialogue” and disapproval of remarks deemed “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse”.

Representatives for Kimmel have yet to confirm his future with the show.