Kimmel's Family Navigates Show Suspension: Kids' Heartbreaking Reaction

In September 2025, Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, was abruptly suspended by ABC amid backlash over Kimmel's comments about the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Kimmel, 57, and his wife Molly McNearney, 47, who is the co-head writer and executive producer on the show, have now revealed the impact this had on their family.

The couple explained that when they returned home, their two young children, 11-year-old daughter Jane and 8-year-old son Billy, had no idea what was happening. Kimmel and McNearney had to quickly put on a "mask" and try to have normal conversations, all while their phones were "blowing up" with the news. Eventually, they had to sit their kids down and break the news, which was met with heartbreak. Jane "immediately burst into tears" and even offered to "sell her Labubus" to help the situation, while Billy asked if President Donald Trump was involved.

Kimmel and McNearney tried to reassure their children that everything would be okay, even though they themselves were unsure at the time if the show would ever return. Ultimately, ABC announced a few days later that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would resume production on September 23, 2025.