Jimmy Kimmel gave a nearly 18-minute opening monologue on the first night back following his show's temporary suspension over comments he made about Charlie Kirk.

In his Sept. 23 episode, the late-night TV show host addressed the suspension of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" publicly for the first time after remaining silent amid a wave of backlash against ABC and its parent company, Disney.

The Emmy-winning comedian teared up while recounting the support he received from friends and supporters, and echoed sentiments about the importance of free speech.

"This show is not important," Kimmel said at one point. "What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this."

Kimmel's suspension sparked widespread outrage among Kimmel's high-profile friends and supporters, from David Letterman to former President Barack Obama. People on social media even began boycotting Disney+ and Hulu in response. Then on Monday, Sept. 22, the Walt Disney Company announced that after "thoughtful conversations" with Kimmel, the show would return on air Tuesday, Sept. 23.

Follow along for live updates from Kimmel's first show back.

Jimmy Kimmel calls out ABC, says Donald Trump is a bully

Kimmel also had some words for his employer network, ABC, saying he was "not happy when they pulled me off the air on Wednesday" and that he did "not agree with that decision."

"I shared my point of view, they shared theirs. We talked it through, and at the end, even though they didn't have to — they really didn't have to, this is a giant company, we have short attention spans, and I am a tiny part of the Disney corporation — they welcomed me back on the air and I thank them for that," he said.

The host added that in doing so, it "unjustly" puts ABC at risk because the "president of the United States made it very clear he wants to see me and the hundreds of people who work here fired from our jobs. Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can't take a joke."

"We have to speak out against this bully. He's not stopping. And it's not just comedy. He’s gunning for our journalists, too. He’s suing them, he's bullying them."

'I don't think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone'

"I have many friends and family members on the other side who I love and remain close to, even though we don't agree on politics at all," Kimmel said during his monologue. "I don't think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone."

"This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution and it isn't — ever — and also selfishly, I am a person who gets a lot of threats, I get many ugly and scary threats against my life my wife, my kids, my coworkers because of what I choose to say, and I know those threats don't come from the kind of people on the right who I know I love, so that's what I wanted to say on that subject."

Kimmel applauds Charlie Kirk's widow for forgiving alleged killer

Kimmel also applauded Kirk's widow Erika Kirk for the speech she delivered at his Sept. 21 memorial in Arizona, where she said she forgave Tyler Robinson, who is accused of assassinating her husband.

"Erika Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. She forgave him. That is an example we should follow. If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do, there it was," he said. "That's it. A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply. It touches many and if there's anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that and not this."

Jimmy Kimmel: 'Never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man'

Kimmel, who nearly broke down in tears Tuesday evening, said it was never his intention to make light of Kirk's assassination.

"I have no illusions about changing anyone's mind, but I do want to make something clear, because it's important to me as a human and that is, you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man," Kimmel said. "I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.

"Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what it was obviously a deeply disturbed individual," Kimmel added. "That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make."

To recap: ABC confirmed on Wednesday, Sept. 17, that it was suspending Kimmel's show "indefinitely" following pushback from the Federal Communications Commission Chairman, Brendan Carr, President Donald Trump, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar over remarks he made about the Turning Point USA founder on a Sept. 15 episode. (Here's the full transcript of what Kimmel said about Kirk.)

Kimmel also said he understood his remarks about Kirk's killing "felt either ill-timed or unclear or both."

Kimmel criticizes those who took his show off air

To those who had a hand in "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" being suspended, Kimmel said: "That's not legal. That's not American. It's unAmerican."

The late-night TV show host even thanked those who don't like him or agree with his political views, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who said the FCC acted like "a mafioso" in suspending Kimmel's show.

"It takes courage for them to speak out against this administration," Kimmel said. "They did and they deserve credit for it." He also named Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Candace Owens, Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul as others who came to his defense.

Kimmel begins monologue on a light-hearted note

Kimmel began his monologue to a standing ovation and chants of "Jimmy!"

"Thank you, thank you," he began. "As I was saying before I was interrupted, if you’re just joining us, we are preempting your encore presentation of Celebrity Family Feud to bring you this special report. I'm happy to be here tonight with you."

"Thank you, I’m not sure who had a weirder 48 hours, me or the CEO of Tylenol. It’s been overwhelming," he quipped. "I’ve heard from a lot of people over the last 6 days. I've heard from ALL the people over — in the world over the last six days. Everyone I have ever met has reached out 10 or 11 times."

Donald Trump says 'let Jimmy Kimmel rot,' threatens to sue ABC again

The president was appalled by ABC's decision to bring back "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and, in a Truth Social post Tuesday, Sept. 23, he insinuated that he would file another lawsuit against the network.

"I can't believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back," Trump wrote. "The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled! Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his 'talent' was never there."

Trump also referenced the March 2024 lawsuit against ABC News and host George Stephanopoulos over questions regarding E. Jean Carroll, whom juries found the president liable for sexually abusing and defaming. In December, ABC News agreed to a $15 million settlement, according to Reuters.

"Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars," Trump threatened. "This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings."

'Jimmy Kimmel Live' guests this week

"Twisters" star Glen Powell will be the first guest for Kimmel's comeback episode. Powell will be discussing his leading role in the upcoming comedy series "Chad Powers." Sarah McLachlan will also make an appearance as the musical guest following the Sept. 19 release of her new album, "Better Broken."

ABC confirmed more guests for the week, including Ethan Hawke and Peyton Manning.

Jimmy Kimmel breaks silence on social media

As the late-night host prepared for his return to the air, he posted on Instagram on Sept. 23 for the first time since his show was suspended. Kimmel shared a photo of himself with legendary television writer and producer Norman Lear, along with the caption, "Missing this guy today."

Lear died in 2023 at age 101. The creator of classic sitcoms like "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" was outspoken about his liberal political beliefs during his life. In 1981, Lear founded the progressive advocacy organization People for the American Way "to counter the divisive rhetoric and authoritarian agenda being spread by leaders of the emerging religious right political movement," according to the group.

In the 1970s, he fought the Federal Communications Commission in protest of a policy that TV programming before 9 p.m. should be family-friendly. Lear and others argued the policy was a violation of the First Amendment.

ABC, FCC, Nexstar, Sinclair and Trump: What led to Jimmy Kimmel suspension?

Kimmel's suspension came after FCC chairman Carr seemingly threatened ABC, Disney and Kimmel during a YouTube episode of commentator Benny Johnson's show on Sept. 17 where he said, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

Nexstar Media Group Inc. later confirmed on Sept. 17 that it would stop airing the show on its 32 ABC affiliates, while the Sinclair Broadcast Group said it would replace Kimmel's Friday timeslot with a remembrance special honoring Kirk across its ABC affiliates (which they later backpedaled on Monday, Sept. 22).

Nexstar, Sinclair to continue Jimmy Kimmel show suspension

Even after Disney's statement on Monday, Sinclair still wasn't budging on their stance on Kimmel.

"Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming," the company said in a statement to USA TODAY. "Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return."

Sinclair is the largest owner of ABC stations with 38 across the country.

Nexstar Media Group, Inc. announced on Tuesday, Sept. 23, that it will still not be airing the show on its ABC affiliate stations. "We stand by that decision pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve," the company said in a press release.

What did Jimmy Kimmel say about Charlie Kirk?

During his Sept. 15 opening monologue, Kimmel criticized supporters of President Donald Trump following the arrest of Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old charged in Kirk's murder.

"We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it," Kimmel said during his opening monologue. "In between the finger-pointing, there was, uh, grieving on Friday − the White House flew the flags at half-staff, which got some criticism, but on a human level, you can see how hard the president is taking this."

Will 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' be back for good?

Not necessarily. Nexstar and Sinclair still chose to preempt the show with other coverage.

While ABC has featured Kimmel's late-night show since 2003, Kimmel's contract with the network is up in May 2026, according to The Associated Press and CNN. That could mean more changes ahead.

What time does 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' on tonight?

"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" is set to return Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 11:35 p.m. ET/10:35 p.m. CT.

How to watch 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' tonight

"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" generally airs on ABC; however, ABC affiliates owned by Sinclair or Nexstar will not broadcast the Sept. 23 episode.

Other ways to watch ABC include the following platforms (follow the hyperlink for broadcast details in your area):

  • DirecTV
  • Fubo
  • Sling
  • Hulu + Live TV
  • You can also sign in with your TV provider on ABC.com

Episodes of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" are available for streaming on Hulu the following day, and clips are posted to the show's YouTube page.

Stephen Colbert reacts to Jimmy Kimmel's return

On the Sept. 22 episode of "The Late Show," Stephen Colbert reacted to news that ABC is ending Kimmel's suspension and bringing his show back to the air this week. "Our long, national late-nightmare is over," Colbert declared.

When Colbert announced news of Kimmel's return, his studio audience erupted in cheers. He described the lifting of Kimmel's suspension as "wonderful news for my dear friend Jimmy and his amazing staff."

More late-night talk show hosts come to Jimmy Kimmel's defense

Fellow talk show hosts David Letterman, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon addressed Kimmel's suspension on Thursday, Sept. 18.

Letterman said he felt bad about Kimmel's suspension "because we all see where this is going, correct? It's managed media. It's no good. It's silly. It's ridiculous. And you can't go around firing somebody because you're fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian, criminal administration in the Oval Office. That's just not how this works."

Seth Meyers said it was "an honor to call Jimmy Kimmel my friend in the same way it is an honor to do this show every night. I wake up every day and count my blessings that I live in a country that at least purports to value freedom of speech and we're going to keep doing our show the way we've always done it with enthusiasm and integrity."

Hollywood stars Jennifer Aniston, more rally behind Jimmy Kimmel

On Monday, Sept. 22, over 400 celebrities, including Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez and Olivia Rodrigo, endorsed an open letter from the American Civil Liberties Union in support of Kimmel.

Major Disney stars, including Pedro Pascal, also defended the comedian. Mark Ruffalo, who stars as the Hulk in Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe, said in a Sept. 20 post on Threads that the company's stock will "go down a lot further if they cancel" Kimmel's show permanently.

Contributing: Bryan Alexander, Wendy Naugle, Edward Segarra, James Powel and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jimmy Kimmel never meant to 'make light of the murder' of Charlie Kirk

Reporting by Anthony Robledo and Pamela Avila, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect