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Walt Disney-owned ABC has indefinitely pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from its schedule, a move that has ignited a significant backlash and led to a widespread boycott of Disney’s streaming services. Subscribers are taking to social media to announce the cancellation of their Disney+ and Hulu accounts, citing concerns over free speech and political polarization.
Kimmel’s Controversial Remarks Trigger Suspension
The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show follows comments he made during his opening monologue on September 15. Kimmel addressed the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, remarking:
“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.”
Conservatives swiftly criticized Kimmel’s implication that Tyler Robinson, the man charged with Kirk’s killing, was affiliated with the “MAGA gang,” particularly as authorities had not yet confirmed a motive for the shooting. The controversy escalated when Nexstar Media announced it would not air Kimmel’s show across its ABC affiliate stations. Furthermore, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, publicly condemned Kimmel’s remarks as “the sickest conduct possible,” in comments that seemingly threatened ABC, Disney, and Kimmel.
The #CancelDisneyPlus Movement Gains Momentum
In the wake of ABC’s decision, social media platforms became a hub for public outcry, with thousands of users posting proof of their subscription cancellations. Hashtags such as #CancelDisney and #CancelDisneyPlus quickly trended, as users voiced their frustration.
Many critics contend that ABC, and by extension its parent company Disney, is actively suppressing free speech and silencing opinions that challenge figures like former President Donald Trump. Examples of public sentiment include:
- An X user’s impassioned plea: “Cancel your Disney and ABC subscription for what they did to Jimmy Kimmel. Let them know how pissed off you are!!!!”
- A Reddit user’s strong declaration: “Cancelled my Disney Plus and Hulu bundle. This isn’t a slippery slope, it’s a cliff, and Disney just went off it. We won’t be going to Disney movies. Not anymore. No more parks. No more Star Wars toys and shirts. Nothing.”
- A Facebook user, a Disney Plus subscriber since 2019, also announced their account discontinuation in solidarity with the protest against Kimmel’s suspension.
The USA TODAY Network has reached out to The Walt Disney Company for comment regarding the impact on its subscription services.
Celebrities Join the Boycott Call
The controversy has also drawn significant attention from public figures and even actors associated with Disney properties. Several notable personalities have publicly urged their followers to cancel their Disney streaming subscriptions:
- Tatiana Maslany, star of the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, encouraged her more than half-a-million Instagram followers to “Cancel your (Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN) subscriptions.”
- Former Supernatural actor Misha Collins posted on X to his over 2.6 million followers that he would cancel his Disney+ subscription “indefinitely.”
- Actor Wil Wheaton shared on BlueSky, stating, “It’s pretty easy to cancel your Disney+ subscription, and a coordinated, national day of cancellations would send a very clear message about our values as Americans.”
Broader Implications for Hulu and Late-Night TV
As Hulu is also owned by Disney, the boycott efforts have naturally extended to this platform, with the hashtag #CancelHulu also gaining traction. The indefinite suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” has prompted wider discussions within the late-night television landscape, with figures like Jon Stewart addressing the evolving situation.