Why are people boycotting Disney after the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show?

Disney is experiencing a backlash of cancellations from its streaming subscribers after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely. The suspension was in response to Jimmy’s inciting comments regarding Tyler Robinson, the alleged shooter of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

Disney faces backlash over Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension? Here’s what you need to know

In his monologue on Monday, Jimmy had commented, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them”. The comment drew a lot of flak especially from conservatives and spurred Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr’s call to action.

Due to the increased backlash, the Disney-owned ABC pulled the show from the air. This has been followed by outrage from fans of Jimmy Kimmel who are taking to social media to declare that they are cancelling their Disney and Hulu subscriptions. #CancelDisney and #CancelHulu hashtags are used to post images of cancelled subscriptions with many people expressing support for Kimmel. “Just CANCELLED my Hulu subscription. I will not support any corporation that allows the trump administration to takes away my First Amendment!” one person wrote on X.

The suspension has also drawn criticism from prominent figures in Hollywood. Veteran talk show host David Letterman weighed in saying the move was “ridiculous” and a form of “managed media”. He added, “You can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian criminal administration.”

On the other hand, President Donald Trump has openly welcomed the news on Truth Social and has demanded other late night shows’ hosts to be suspended. In a newspaper report, Jimmy is reported to be “livid” with the ruling and is considering options to escape his ABC contract. The incident has set off a broader discourse on free speech and corporate censorship in an extremely polarised political environment.

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