Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel fought back tears during the most anticipated monologue in late-night TV history on Tuesday.
Kimmel, 57, dissolved into tears during his return to “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC following his suspension last week.
Audience members stood and cheered when Kimmel walked out on stage.
“I’m not sure who had a weirder 48 hours, me or the CEO of Tylenol,” Kimmel said, referring to the Trump administration linking Tylenol to autism.
“It’s been overwhelming. I’ve heard from a lot of people over the last six days. I’ve heard from all the people in the world over the last six days,” he continued.
Kimmel went on to joke about a former boss who fired him from his first radio job in Seattle, Washington – “Where we are not airing tonight. Sorry, Seattle.”
At the 6:40 mark of his 20-minute monologue, Kimmel said he wanted to make it clear that it was never his intention “to make light of the murder of a young man,” referring to Charlie Kirk’s death.
Many on the right saw Kimmel’s emotional moment as an act of contrition; a repentance for his sins.
The show was pre-taped on Tuesday evening. Jimmy Kimmel Live! did not air on stations owned by Sinclair Broadcasting Group or Nexstar Media Group.
Sinclair, which owns 38 ABC affiliate stations, said it would pull the show from its stations until Kimmel apologized.
Many on the left were disappointed in Kimmel’s show of remorse, which they saw as regret for his choice of words last week.
During last Monday’s monologue, Kimmel said that the “MAGA gang” was attempting to portray Kirk’s killer “as anything other than one of them.”
Kimmel’s staff – who did not help to write Tuesday’s monologue – had threatened to walk out if he did apologize. They claimed victory in Kimmel’s lack of an outright apology.
But members of a leftist manosphere board felt betrayed by Kimmel’s emotional breakdown.
Seeing Kimmel choke back tears was too much for one Black manosphere member.
“F–k Jimmy Kimmel,” he wrote.
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