Bob Iger finally broke his silence on one of Disney’s most controversial decisions of 2025. The former CEO addressed the Jimmy Kimmel suspension and denied political motivations in a new interview.

Bob Iger says political pressure played no role in the decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel

Former Disney CEO Bob Iger denied that political pressure influenced the decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show. In an interview with the Financial Times, Iger addressed the September 2025 controversy for the first time publicly. He rejected speculation that Disney pulled the show to appease the Trump administration.

“That was not the case,” Iger stated. “We thought it was in bad taste.” Additionally, he revealed that Disney asked Kimmel to apologize for his on-air remarks. Iger further described the comments as “an ill-timed and probably inappropriate comment” that warranted acknowledgment from the host.

The controversy initially stemmed from Kimmel’s remarks about the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk. Kirk, a right-wing activist and Trump ally, was shot and killed at age 31 on September 10, 2025. At the time, he was speaking at an event at Utah Valley University when the shooting occurred.

Five days after Kirk’s death, Kimmel commented on his ABC late-night show about the incident. Specifically, he said “the MAGA gang” was trying to distance the shooter from their movement. Shortly after, Trump’s FCC chairman Brendan Carr threatened regulatory action against ABC in response. Carr warned on a podcast that companies could “find ways to change conduct” or face serious consequences from the commission.

Meanwhile, Nexstar and Sinclair, which own a combined quarter of ABC’s affiliate channels, quickly refused to air Kimmel’s show. As a result, ABC subsequently suspended production on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” indefinitely following the significant affiliate backlash.

However, the show ultimately returned to air after a five-day hiatus from the network.