More Than 400 Entertainers Sign ACLU Letter Backing Jimmy Kimmel After ABC Suspension

More than 400 actors, musicians and film directors have put their names to an open letter organized by the American Civil Liberties Union, warning of "a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation" following ABC's indefinite suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel last week. The letter says the suspension came under pressure from the Trump administration.

The signers include performers with long-standing ties to ABC and its parent company, Disney. Among them are Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and Pedro Pascal, who currently stars in Marvel and Star Wars projects. Selena Gomez and Olivia Rodrigo, both of whom first found success as Disney actors, also signed, as did Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston, Robert De Niro, Jason Bateman, Natalie Portman and Maya Rudolph.

The letter states that Kimmel "was taken off the air after the government threatened a private company with retaliation." It argues that the government has tried to silence critics by threatening the livelihoods of journalists, talk show hosts, artists and entertainers. The signers say they hold different political views but share a love of country, and that "if it happens to one of us, it happens to all of us."

The dispute traces back to Kimmel's opening monologue last Monday, in which he criticized the conservative reaction to the assassination of activist Charlie Kirk, a close Trump ally. Kimmel accused "the MAGA gang" of trying to characterize the suspect as anything other than one of their own while seeking political points from the killing.

On Wednesday, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson that "we can do this the easy way or the hard way," saying companies could take action on Kimmel or the FCC would have "additional work" ahead. Within hours, ABC announced the suspension. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later said on Fox News that the decision to fire Kimmel and cancel his show came from ABC executives. Kimmel has not been fired and the show has not been canceled.

ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero told NPR in a written statement on Monday that the country is in "a modern McCarthy era," citing the silencing of Kimmel and pressure on media outlets through lawsuits and threats to their licenses. He noted that Senator Joseph McCarthy was eventually disgraced once Americans mobilized against him.

Other protests have emerged as well. On Monday, the hosts of ABC's The View criticized the administration and their own corporate leadership. Whoopi Goldberg said the government "cannot — cannot — apply pressure to force someone to be silenced," while co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said the First Amendment is first for a reason. On Sunday, musicians Sarah McLachlan and Jewel declined to perform at the Los Angeles premiere of the Hulu documentary Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery. Hulu is also owned by Disney. McLachlan cited concerns including "the muzzling of free speech."

A separate open letter signed by about 600 comedians, including Jimmy Fallon, Chelsea Handler, Margaret Cho, David Cross and W. Kamau Bell, is also circulating. It says: "When the government targets one of us, they target all of us," and concludes, "We will not be silenced."

Some conservatives have also raised concerns. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi's statement that the Justice Department would "target" those who use "hate speech." On Friday, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas called the FCC's approach "dangerous as hell" on his podcast, likening it to a mobster telling a bar owner it would be a shame if something happened to the place.