Jimmy Kimmel is reportedly struggling to come to terms with the loss of his lifelong best friend, and it has friends and family worried

Jimmy Kimmel’s time on late-night TV could be coming to an end. The long-standing host has been dealing with the loss of his childhood friend, and the bandleader of his late-night show, Cleto Escobedo III.

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According to Globe, a source close to Kimmel has revealed how the 58-year-old is struggling with the sudden loss, and is now questioning his own mortality.

“Jimmy is spiraling,” the source told the Globe. “He’s known Cleto since he was just a kid and he never expected him to be gone this soon. It’s got Jimmy facing his own mortality and questioning everything. He’s in a very dark place.”

The two have known each other since 1979 and have worked together for over 20 years. Before taking his week-long hiatus, Kimmel issued a statement on an episode of his “The Jimmy Kimmel Show.”

“We’ve been on the air for almost 23 years, and I’ve had to do some hard monologues along the way,” Kimmel said. “But this one is the hardest because late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special who was much too young to go.”

“It’s just not fair,” Kimmel said. “He was the nicest, most humble, kind, and always funny person… He was just a great older brother. No baggage, all love. There’s no one in my life I feel more comfortable with.”

Jimmy Kimmel Was Already Considering Retirement

The reason why Kimmel’s tenure on our television screens could be coming to an end is that he was already considering retirement before losing his lifelong best friend.

“I think this is my final contract,” Kimmel told the Los Angeles Times in 2024. “I hate to even say it, because everyone’s laughing at me now — each time I think that, and then it turns out to be not the case.”

And, according to the source who spoke with the Globe, losing Escobedo may have moved up the timeline for Kimmel to walk away from the limelight.

“Jimmy is tired and he’s grieving and he’s completely burned out. You can see just by looking at him that he’s barely holding it together,” the source said. “People in his life are begging him to step back from the show before the job eats him alive. They’re terrified that if he doesn’t make a change soon, the stress will destroy him. He’s never been this down.”

Even if Kimmel decides to continue in his role beyond his current contract, he could likely benefit from some time away. Grief is an individualistic journey, as it impacts everyone in different ways. The emotional healing isn’t linear, either.

Only Kimmel can decide what’s best for him, but we can all hope he gets the emotional support he needs before making a mammoth career decision.