Perez Hilton wonders if Jimmy Kimmel will apologize as "sidekick" Guillermo Rodriguez speaks out following late-night show's return

Pop culture influencer Perez Hilton reacted to Jimmy Kimmel Live! cast member Guillermo Rodriguez’s Instagram post, shared just hours before the show returned from its suspension.

On September 17, Disney subsidiary ABC put the show on hold, following a backlash over Kimmel's comment on Charlie Kirk's suspected assassin. On Monday, Disney announced the reinstatement of the late-night show, which returned on Tuesday.

Guillermo Rodriguez, who had not commented on the show’s suspension, shared a joint post with the show’s official page showing him hugging Jimmy Kimmel. In the caption, Rodriguez wrote,

"We are back full of love."

Podcaster Perez Hilton reacted to Guillermo Rodriguez’s post and blogged about it on September 23, ahead of the episode’s airing. The blogger also wondered if Kimmel would apologize on the comeback episode. Referring to the caption of Guillermo Rodriguez's post, Hilton wrote,

"That is all Guillermo said… for now! We’ll see what else he and Jimmy will say when the show airs this evening, including whether The Man Show alum will give in to the pressure and apologize!"

Later in the show, Rodriguez made an appearance, and Kimmel asked him if he wanted to share anything with the audience.

"I would like to say listen, this world needs more people like Jimmy Kimmel. He is the best. He's a great man. a great father, and thank you, Jimmy, and I love you, and I stand with you all the way," Guillermo Rodriguez stated.

The two shared a hug resembling the one in the photo Guillermo Rodriguez posted before the show’s return. Notably, Rodriguez’s post came just hours after Kimmel shared his first Instagram post following the show's suspension. Perez Hilton attempted to decode the post in one of his Tuesday blogs.

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Perez Hilton reacted to Jimmy Kimmel's pre-return Instagram post

On Tuesday, Jimmy Kimmel shared a picture on his Instagram with the late producer Norman Lear. Perez Hilton reported about it in his blog and wrote, "Jimmy Kimmel has broken his silence!"

In the caption of the post, referring to Norman Lear, Kimmel wrote,

“Missing this guy today”

Perez Hilton gave a brief introduction of the late producer known for writing series like The Jeffersons, All in the Family, and many more. The blogger said that Kimmel's post was not a tribute to Lear, who died in 2023, but rather pointed to "something much more." Hilton attempted to unmask the message from Jimmy Kimmel's post and shared about Lear's advocacy for free speech.

"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”! Sound familiar?" Perez Hilton wrote.

The podcaster concluded by saying that Kimmel's post was not merely a "coincidence"; rather, it was "signaling" where the late-night host stood ahead of his show.

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In the Tuesday episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host addressed his allegedly controversial remarks on Charlie Kirk's murder suspect and said it was never his intention to "make light of the murder of a young man," nor did he intend to blame "any group" for the actions of Kirk's alleged killer. Kimmel also took a shot at US President Trump in his comeback show.

Edited by Anuj Singh Kushwaha