What Jimmy Kimmel Had Top Says In His Late-Night Return To ABC

Jimmy Kimmel joked as he opened his show Tuesday night to a standing ovation after nearly a week away. “I’m not sure who had a weirder 48 hours — me, or the CEO of Tylenol,”  In a monologue that turned emotional, the comedian choked up addressing the family of Charlie Kirk, the right-wing activist who was killed Sept. 10. “I’ve been hearing a lot about what I need to say and do tonight,” he said. “And the truth is, I don’t think what I have to say is going to make much of a difference … I have no illusions about changing anyone’s mind.”

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Kimmel said, however, that he wanted to make one thing clear: “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man.” He said he meant it when he posted a message on Instagram sending love to Kirk’s family after he was killed. And Kimmel said he understood why some folks were upset last week when he made comments about Kirk’s assassination. But the host also warned about threats to free speech. “This show isn’t important — what’s important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this,” he said. The comedian acknowledged that bringing Jimmy Kimmel Live! back on the air puts Disney at risk, because, he said, the president “can’t take a joke.” “We have to speak out against it.”

Source: NPR