ACLU Letter Condemns Jimmy Kimmel Suspension As “A Dark Moment For Free Speech,” Backed By Olivia Rodrigo, Pedro Pascal, Robert DeNiro & Hundreds More

The American Civil Liberties Union has released an open letter signed by more than 400 actors, musicians, directors, and comedians criticizing ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! last week. Published Monday, the letter calls the network’s decision a free speech violation and singles out federal officials for pressuring the company.

Last week, Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air after the government threatened a private company with retaliation, marking a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation,” the letter states. It adds that efforts to stifle political dissent by threatening broadcast licenses and filing legal complaints “strike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country.

The suspension was in response to remarks Kimmel made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, whose recent killing has become a partisan flashpoint in national politics. After FCC Chairman Brendan Carr suggested that Kimmel’s host network should consider action or risk punishment from affiliate stations, ABC announced the indefinite suspension of Kimmel’s show within days.

The ACLU letter was signed by many well-known actors, comedians, and industry figures. Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston, Kerry Washington, Florence Pugh, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Rodrigo, and Lin-Manuel Miranda are among the signatories, as well as comedians Chelsea Handler, Kumail Nanjiani, and Billy Crystal. Judd Apatow, Joel Coen, and Tony Gilroy are among the directors to sign.

Anthony D. Romero, the ACLU’s executive director, said that the controversy had “echoes of a modern McCarthy era, given a history of government attempts to blacklist and silence artists. The silencing of Jimmy Kimmel and jawboning of media outlets through lawsuits and threats to their licenses evoke dark memories of the 1950s,” Romero said in a statement.

The support for the letter extends to television, film, theater, and music, and the signatories made clear that the implications of ABC’s actions and those of federal officials go far beyond one late-night host. “Regardless of our political affiliation, or whether we engage in politics or not, we all love our country. We also share the belief that our voices should never be silenced by those in power, because if it happens to one of us, it happens to all of us,” the letter reads. Negotiations between ABC and Kimmel’s representatives are reportedly ongoing, but the late-night host’s show remains off the air.