"NO coincidence": Perez Hilton reacts after Jimmy Kimmel breaks silence ahead of late-night show return

Podcaster Perez Hilton reacted to Jimmy Kimmel breaking his silence ahead of his return to late-night television. Kimmel, who had been suspended from his ABC talk show for making jokes about the death of Charlie Kirk, returned to Jimmy Kimmel Live! on September 23, 2025.

On the same day, before the show aired, Kimmel shared a photo on Instagram with legendary TV producer and writer Norman Lear, captioned:

“Missing this guy today.”

Referring to this Instagram post, Hilton, in his September 23, 2025, article, remarked:

“Jimmy Kimmel has broken his silence!…Uploading a photo with Norman Lear…Yeah, this post was NO coincidence,” Hilton wrote

He then noted that Kimmel had remained quiet since ABC temporarily pulled his show amid backlash over his jokes about Charlie Kirk. However, the late-night show host had now chosen Instagram to share a “poignant message” ahead of his return.

Perez Hilton also highlighted that Norman Lear was an acclaimed television producer behind classics like All in the Family and The Jeffersons. He emphasized that Kimmel’s post was more than a “birthday” tribute and a deliberate nod to Lear’s legacy and principles.

“Norman was always outspoken in his support for… you guessed it… the First Amendment. He famously put his career on the line to stand up for constitutional rights — even going up against the FCC in a lawsuit to protect the right to freedom of speech! He had even been on President Nixon’s ‘enemies list’!” Perez Hilton wrote.

By sharing the image of Lear, Hilton suggested that Kimmel was sending a clear message about his own stance on free speech and controversy in the lead-up to the show.

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Jimmy Kimmel resumes late-night show, addresses his recent suspension from ABC

Jimmy Kimmel (Image via Getty Images)

Jimmy Kimmel returned on air on September 23 night, addressing his recent suspension from ABC and criticizing government threats aimed at silencing comedians, which he described as “bullying tactics” by the Trump administration.

For context, Disney-owned ABC had announced on September 17, 2025, that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be halted “indefinitely” following his September 15 monologue.

In that episode, Kimmel had remarked that the “MAGA gang” was “desperately trying” to portray Charlie Kirk’s alleged gunman as “anything” but “one of them.” His comments sparked a nationwide debate over free speech, the role of late-night television, and political accountability.

After several days of discussions, Disney reinstated Kimmel’s show. In a statement to NBC News on September 22, the company described the suspension as a temporary measure to “avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.”

Upon his return on the September 23 episode, Jimmy Kimmel opened with a statement emphasizing the importance of freedom over the show itself.

“This show is not important… What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this,” he said.

He also expressed gratitude to both his supporters and those who disagreed with him but respected his right to speak.

Jimmy Kimmel (Image via Getty Images)

Kimmel clarified that he had never intended to trivialize Charlie Kirk’s murder. He explained that his remarks addressed broader societal concerns rather than blaming any specific group:

“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. 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.”

Turning to President Donald Trump, Kimmel accused him of attempting to “cancel” the show and punish the staff, framing such governmental intimidation as deeply troubling.

He also reflected on the lessons of Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, and Howard Stern, noting that a “government threat” to silence a comedian was fundamentally “anti-American.” He added that Trump “celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke.”

Closing his monologue, Jimmy Kimmel reflected on Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, who publicly forgave her husband’s alleged killer during the memorial service. He highlighted her response as a lesson in compassion.

“Erika Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. That is an example we should follow,” he said. “It touched me deeply. And if there’s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that, not this,” Kimmel said.

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Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. on ABC, with episodes also available to stream on Hulu and YouTube.

Edited by Shayari Roy