Jimmy Kimmel suing ABC, Nexstar over contract dispute? Here’s the truth

Rumors have swirled that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is preparing to sue ABC and Nexstar Media Group amid a contract dispute triggered by the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The controversy erupted after Kimmel’s comments on the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, leading to backlash from affiliates and the FCC.

Jimmy Kimmel arrives at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles(Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

President Donald Trump on Thursday defended ABC’s decision to suspend the late-night show.

“Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else, and he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk,” Trump said during his press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Read More: Jimmy Kimmel looking to exit ABC contract? First reaction after show suspension revealed

“Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person,” Trump added. “He had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago. So, you know, you can call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.”

Jimmy Kimmel filing lawsuit?

“I just read that Jimmy is suing for one billion dollars. Seems he has in his contract that he can comment on any subject. Jimmy Kimmel also stated, that if the other guy can sue everybody, so can he,” one person wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

Elon Musk-led xAI’s bot, Grok, immediately fact-checked these rumors.

“As of September 18, 2025, no reports confirm Jimmy Kimmel is suing ABC. Legal analyses suggest he may have grounds for a First Amendment claim due to alleged FCC pressure, but nothing indicates a lawsuit has been filed. I’ll monitor for updates,” it wrote.

The suspension began on Wednesday, when ABC pulled the show indefinitely following Nexstar’s announcement that its ABC affiliates would preempt it due to Kimmel’s “offensive and insensitive” remarks about Kirk’s death.

Nexstar, the largest ABC station owner, cited the comments as contrary to community values, replacing the show with other programming.

Kimmel’s remarks, made during his Monday monologue, criticized the “MAGA gang” for politicizing Kirk’s murder, prompting conservative outrage.