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Radio host Howard Stern criticized ABC and Disney on Monday for suspending late-night host Jimmy Kimmel‘s show.
“I just know when the government begins to interfere, when the government says, ‘I’m not pleased with you, so we’re going to orchestrate a way to silence you,’ it’s the wrong direction for our country. And I should know. I’ve been involved in something like this and now ABC is put in the same position, and it’s unfortunate that ABC even has to be in this position. They shouldn’t have to be in this position. I feel for them, too, in this. But someone’s got to step up and be f—— saying, ‘Hey, enough, we’re not going to bow,'” Stern said during “The Howard Stern Show.”
The radio host also said he reached out to Kimmel and asked him how he was doing personally.
“Now it might sound stupid, but the thing I did this morning — I’m canceling my Disney+. I’m trying to say with the pocketbook that I do not support what they’re doing with Jimmy,” Stern continued.
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Howard Stern attends the 2025 North Shore Animal League America Celebration of Rescue at Tribeca 360 on June 12, 2025, in New York City. ( Noam Galai/Getty Images)
Disney did not immediately return a request for comment.
Kimmel was suspended indefinitely on Wednesday after accusing conservatives of reaching “new lows” in trying to pin a left-wing ideology on Charlie Kirk’s alleged shooter, 22-year-old suspect Tyler Robinson, even though prosecutors reaffirmed those ties in Tuesday’s indictment.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.
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Howard Stern on set of SiriusXM’s “The Howard Stern Show” at SiriusXM Studios on Oct. 23, 2024, in New York City. Jimmy Kimmel is seen on Sept. 14, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. (Kevin Mazur/Kevin MazurGetty Images for SiriusXM; ZZHollywood To You/Star Max/GC Images)
Kimmel’s suspension prompted fierce backlash from liberals, including MSNBC host Chris Hayes.
Hayes called it “the latest chapter in Donald Trump’s ongoing campaign to crack down on free speech, dominate the media and essentially render the First Amendment meaningless.”
Hayes said on X that it was the “most straightforward attack on free speech from state actors” that he has ever seen.
Stern revealed that he was still with SiriusXM in early September after months of speculation about his show’s future.
The longtime radio personality faked out his listeners at the start of his Sept. 8 program, when Andy Cohen staged a bit about taking over the show.
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Jimmy Kimmel, the host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” during the show on June 16, 2025. (Lou Rocco/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Stern was originally expected to discuss the future of his show on Sept. 2, but delayed until Monday’s episode because he was sick, Variety reported.
“I’m very happy at Sirius,” he said during the show.
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Stern did not say whether he renewed his contract with SiriusXM, which is set to expire at the end of 2025.
