Television writer Molly McNearney , wife of late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel , said the US is in a “fragile time for freedom” following her husband’s brief suspension.

McNearney was the keynote speaker at The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment 2025 breakfast gala Wednesday, where she described Kimmel’s suspension as a moment she realized she had taken freedom of speech for granted.

“I’ve been asked to speak about freedom of speech and, I have to be honest, I naively assumed it was a guarantee in this country until Sept. 16, 2025,” McNearney said.

“It’s something that I took for granted. Something I thought I’d always have, like my period. Did you guys know that those just stop? They just stop.

“And it turns out your freedom in this country can too. We experience

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