Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC Future In Jeopardy Long Before Charlie Kirk Scandal, Insider Claims

Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night career may have been hanging by a thread even before his fiery monologue about Donald Trump and Charlie Kirk sent shockwaves through Hollywood and Washington. Earlier this week, ABC announced that "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" was being placed on indefinite hiatus following Monday’s monologue. Now, however, multiple insiders say ABC was already weighing whether to push the comedian out as his contract neared its end.

The "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" host only had months left on his deal with Disney, and talks were expected to begin later this year. But sources told Page Six the network was seriously considering ending Kimmel’s run after this season, with his increasingly outspoken political commentary giving them the perfect excuse to cut ties early.

“Bob Iger doesn’t want to be at war with Donald Trump right now, just as he has stabilized Disney,” one insider revealed. “Maybe the uproar is so loud Jimmy can’t come back.”

Another Hollywood source suggested that if Jimmy Kimmel had been mulling retirement, the controversy could change his plans. “Kimmel may not even want to leave, just so he can piss Trump off! If he was thinking of retirement, he most definitely will stay put now.”

Disney hit the brakes on Jimmy Kimmel, figuring the only way to douse the MAGA-fueled firestorm was to get him off the air until the noise died down. But the timing couldn’t be worse, every major player involved has government deals hanging in the balance.

According to Variety, Nexstar, which yanked Kimmel’s show from its lineup, is chasing a $6.2 billion takeover of TV giant Tegna, a move that needs FCC approval. Sinclair just kicked off a “strategic review” of its empire, which could mean mergers and sales that also fall under the feds’ watch.

And Disney? They’ve got their own monster deals in the works, cutting the NFL in for a 10% slice of ESPN and trying to scoop up majority control of Fubo to marry it with Hulu’s live-TV platform. Basically, nobody’s looking to tick off regulators right now.

Over on "The Daily Show," Jon Stewart couldn’t resist jumping into the Kimmel firestorm. Usually, only behind the desk on Mondays, Stewart popped up midweek to sub in for Desi Lydic, and he made sure his friend Jimmy got some love. Stewart went full throttle with the irony, joking that viewers were now watching the “all new, government-approved” version of the late-night hit. The announcer even played along, hyping him as the night’s “patriotically obedient host.”

From there, Stewart skewered the Trump crowd with sarcastic praise, scolding the audience anytime they dared laugh at his over-the-top pandering. At one point, he quipped that the show was being taped in the “crime-ridden cesspool that is New York City,” before adding, “someone’s National Guard should invade this place, am I right?”

Over at "The Tonight Show," Jimmy Fallon kept things short but sincere when it came to his late-night rival. During Thursday’s monologue, Fallon admitted he was just as in the dark as everyone else. “To be honest with you all, I don’t know what’s going on. No one does,” he told his audience. “But I do know Jimmy Kimmel, and he is a decent, funny, and loving guy. And I hope he comes back.”

Fallon then promised to keep the rest of his monologue business as usual, but in a sly nod to the controversy, anytime his Trump jokes got close to landing, an announcer jumped in to smother the punchlines with over-the-top praise.

One day after the suspension, Kimmel was spotted in Century City on Thursday heading into a meeting with powerhouse attorney Karl Austen, whose star-studded client list includes Seth MacFarlane, Jude Law, Dave Bautista, and Jeffrey Wright. Industry chatter suggests Kimmel could be preparing a legal showdown with ABC in hopes of landing a mega-payout.

Still, Kimmel has powerful allies inside Disney. He is close with Dana Walden, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, who insiders insist would never pull the plug on her friend. “I don’t see Dana agreeing to push him out,” a source told Page Six. It was Walden herself who reportedly phoned Kimmel Wednesday night to break the news that his show was being pulled from the schedule.

While Disney has yet to announce a decision on Jimmy Kimmel's future, the timing couldn’t be more precarious. With his contract winding down and pressure mounting from Washington and ABC affiliates, the once-untouchable late-night staple could be facing the end of his run.