Jimmy Kimmel returned to social media for the first time since his late-night show was abruptly pulled from ABC’s lineup.

The 57-year-old host took to Instagram on Tuesday to post a tribute that many fans saw as a subtle statement on the controversy surrounding his program.

‘Missing this guy today,’ Kimmel wrote alongside a photo of himself with legendary TV producer Norman Lear, who passed away at age 101 in December 2023.

Lear, best known for creating groundbreaking sitcoms such as All in the Family and The Jeffersons, was a staunch defender of free speech and the First Amendment.

He was also famously on Richard Nixon’s ‘enemies list’ during his presidency from 1969 to 1974.

The post was Kimmel’s first public comment since ABC announced last week that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be ‘preempted indefinitely’ in the wake of his controversial remarks about the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

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Jimmy Kimmel returned to social media for the first time since his late-night show was abruptly pulled from ABC’s lineup

According to Variety, ABC’s decision came after Nexstar Media, which operates dozens of affiliate stations across the country, threatened to drop Kimmel’s show from its programming lineup.

The dispute quickly became a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over free speech, political satire and the limits of late-night comedy.

While Kimmel has yet to directly address his comments about Kirk, fans believe his nod to Lear, a figure celebrated for pushing boundaries in television and never shying away from political or cultural controversy, speaks volumes.

Within an hour, the post received more than 35,000 likes from Instagram users, including celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Olivia Wilde, Ellen Pompeo and Quinta Brunson.

Rosie O’Donnell was among the first stars to react to Kimmel’s post as she commented: ‘kill it tonight – feel all the love ❤️.’

Underneath the post more of his fans applauded him for ‘standing strong and for not compromising’.

‘Hoooray, we LOVE you, Jimmy! Justice prevailed! We, the people, prevailed!’ another wrote.

Comments have been limited on the post.

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‘Missing this guy today,’ Kimmel wrote alongside a photo of himself with legendary TV producer Norman Lear, who passed away in December 2023 (seen in 2022)

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Lear, best known for creating groundbreaking sitcoms like All in the Family and The Jeffersons, was a staunch defender of free speech and the First Amendment (seen in 2022)

On Monday, the ACLU and stars like Robert De Niro, Jane Fonda, Ben Affleck, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep signed an impassioned, open letter ‘in solidarity’ with the host.

The letter begins: ‘We the people must never accept government threats to our freedom of speech. Efforts by leaders to pressure artists, journalists, and companies with retaliation for their speech strike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country.

‘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.

‘In an attempt to silence its critics, our government has resorted to threatening the livelihoods of journalists, talk show hosts, artists, creatives, and entertainers across the board. This runs counter to the values our nation was built upon, and our Constitution guarantees.

‘We know this moment is bigger than us and our industry. Teachers, government employees, law firms, researchers, universities, students and so many more are also facing direct attacks on their freedom of expression.’

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While Kimmel has yet to directly address his comments about Kirk, fans believe his nod to Lear speaks volumes

Rosie O’Donnell was among the first stars to react to Kimmel’s post as she commented: ‘kill it tonight – feel all the love ❤️’

‘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.

‘This is the moment to defend free speech across our nation. We encourage all Americans to join us, along with the ACLU, in the fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights.’

In total, more than 430 movie, TV and stage stars as well as comedians, directors and writers added their names.

Hours later, Disney announced that it was reversing the ‘indefinite’ hiatus ordered Monday amid backlash to Kimmel’s suspension.

During his September 15 monologue, Kimmel said: ‘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 with everything they can to score political points from it.’

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Kimmel pictured on the day his show is set to resume after after being suspended

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On September 10, Kirk was fatally shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University; seen in May 2025

He was reprimanded Wednesday by Carr, who told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson that he was considering an investigation into Kimmel and ABC over the comments.

Executives at Sinclair and Nexstar responded by telling ABC and Disney they would not be airing Kimmel’s show until the comments were addressed.

A spokesman for Kirk’s non-profit organization, Turning Point USA, has called on both broadcasters to not ‘cave’.

Additionally, Sinclair called on Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family and also make ‘a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA’.

Carr, during his conversation with Johnson, called an apology ‘a very reasonable, minimal step that can be taken’.

It remains unclear whether Kimmel will issue an apology during his show Tuesday.