Stephen Colbert has labelled the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show to be "blatant censorship".
On Wednesday, an ABC spokesperson confirmed Jimmy Kimmel Live! had been halted for the time being due to network bosses "strongly objecting" to comments the host made about the death of Charlie Kirk and U.S. President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters in a recent monologue.
Kimmel has not yet publicly responded to the decision.
However, Colbert didn't hold back during his opener for The Late Show on Thursday evening.
"Tonight, we are all Jimmy Kimmel," he began. "Yesterday, after threats from Trump's FCC chair, ABC yanked Kimmel off the air indefinitely. That is blatant censorship... with an autocrat, you cannot give an inch."
Colbert went on to take aim at Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Brendan Carr's "unprecedented decision".
"Well, you know what my values are, buster? Freedom of speech. People across the country are shocked about this blatant assault on free speech," the 61-year-old declared, adding that he was fully supportive of Kimmel and his producers.
"To Jimmy, let me just say I stand with you and your staff 100 per cent - and also you couldn't let me enjoy this for one week?" he joked while holding up the prize he won for Outstanding Talk Series at the 2025 Emmy Awards last weekend.
In July, executives at CBS announced that they would be ending The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and retiring The Late Show franchise altogether in May 2026.
Other late-night TV hosts have also expressed their support for Kimmel, including the likes of Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, and Seth Meyers.
"It is a privilege and an honour to call Jimmy Kimmel my friend in the same way that it's a privilege and honour to do this show every night. I wake up every day, I count my blessings that I live in a country that at least purports to value freedom of speech, and we're gonna keep doing our show the way we've always done it: with enthusiasm and integrity," said Seth in a segment on Thursday night.
Kirk, a right-wing political activist, was shot and killed at an event held at Utah Valley University on 10 September.
Police investigators have not yet confirmed the suspect's motive.
