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Jimmy Kimmel Says ‘Something’s Fishy’ About Trump’s Sudden Change on Epstein Files

by jummy84
written by jummy84

What To Know

  • Jimmy Kimmel expressed skepticism about Donald Trump’s sudden support for releasing the Epstein files, suggesting there may be ulterior motives behind the shift.
  • Kimmel noted that despite an overwhelming House vote to release the files, Trump and the Department of Justice could still withhold information.
  • He also criticized Trump for calling a female reporter “piggy” when questioned about the Epstein files, highlighting the lack of media attention to the incident.

Jimmy Kimmel has suspicions about Donald Trump‘s sudden change of heart regarding the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, saying on Tuesday’s (November 18) Jimmy Kimmel Live! that “something’s fishy.”

During his opening monologue, the late-night host spoke about the House voting 427-1 to release the Epstein files on Tuesday, just days after the President shifted his stance and urged Congress to pass the petition that would allow for the release of the files.

“The goal was to have the bill pass by such a large margin that Trump can’t put his little orange thumb on the scale and give it the old Cheeto veto,” Kimmel said. “But make no mistake: This isn’t over. He’s not giving up easily. If anyone thinks he’s gonna release all the Epstein files, I’ve got a beautiful East Wing of the White House to sell you.”

Kimmel added that even after “an almost unanimous vote,” Trump and his “cronies in the Department of Justice” could still withhold information under the guise of protecting ongoing investigations and national security.

“The DOJ can withhold entire documents, photos, and/or video,” he continued. “But they would never do anything like that, would they? They’re sworn to protect the Constitution of the United States!”

“Something’s fishy,” Kimmel stated. “Trump rolled over faster than that dog Ghislaine Maxwell gets to play with in her country club prison.”

Kimmel was referencing Maxwell, a known associate of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for grooming underage girls for the disgraced financier. In August, she was moved to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas, not long after she claimed she “never witnessed” Trump in “any inappropriate setting.”

Elsewhere in his monologue, Kimmel touched on Trump snapping at a reporter aboard Air Force One on Friday. In a viral clip, Trump told a female reporter, “Quiet, piggy,” after she asked a question about the Epstein files.

“He said ‘Quiet, piggy’ to a reporter, and it barely made the news,” Kimmel said. “If a man spoke like that to a female coworker in a workplace harassment training video, you’d go, ‘Ah, that’s over the top. Nobody would do that.’ If the pilot on Air Force One behaved like the President, he wouldn’t be allowed to fly the plane!”

You can watch Kimmel’s full opening monologue above and let us know your thoughts below.

Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Weeknights, 11:35 pm ET/PT, ABC

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About the Late Kimmel Bandleader’s Family – Hollywood Life
Hollywood

About the Late Kimmel Bandleader’s Family – Hollywood Life

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Image Credit: Getty Images

Cleto Escobedo III’s passing has left a deep void in both the entertainment world and the lives of those who loved him most. Best known as the saxophonist and bandleader for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Cleto was more than just a staple on late-night TV — he was a devoted husband, father, and friend. After Jimmy Kimmel confirmed the heartbreaking news of his death at age 59, fans have been reflecting not only on his decades-long career but also on the family that stood by him throughout it.

So, did Cleto Escobedo have children? Here’s everything to know about the late musician’s wife, kids, and the loved ones he leaves behind.

Who Was Cleto Escobedo III?

Cleto was the longtime bandleader and saxophonist for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a role he proudly held from the show’s debut in 2003 until his death in 2025. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Cleto was a gifted musician who toured with artists like Paula Abdul, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Santana before joining Kimmel’s late-night family.

What Happened to Cleto Escobedo III?

Cleto died on November 11, 2025, at age 59, as confirmed by Jimmy in an emotional post and through a tearful on-air tribute. During his emotional tribute, Kimmel said, “Late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special who was much too young to go.”

Cleto’s official cause of death was confirmed via his death certificate on November 14, per TMZ. He died of cardiogenic shock, and vasodilatory shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation and alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver were listed as underlying causes.

The document also says indicates conditions that contributed to Cleto’s death include sepsis, graft versus host disease, immunosuppressed, chronic kidney disease and pneumonia

Is Cleto Escobedo Survived by Any Children?

Yes — Cleto is survived by his two children, Cruz and Jesse Escobedo, whom he shared with his wife.

Who Is Cleto Escobedo’s Wife?

Cleto was married to Lori Escobedo. In Kimmel’s tribute, he wrote that Cleto “met a girl… a waitress across the street. Her name is Lori. She was from Minnesota.”

How Long Did Cleto and Jimmy Kimmel Know Each Other?

Cleto and Jimmy Kimmel’s friendship spanned five decades. “There was a boy who lived on my block… a little over a year older than me… his name was Cleto,” Jimmy said on his show. Their friendship evolved into a creative partnership when Kimmel invited Cleto to join his late-night show in 2003.

He remembered countless sleepovers, backyard boxing matches, and late-night prank calls — and he described their professional milestone as “we’ve been working together every day for almost 23 years.”

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Jimmy Kimmel Launches Fundraisers in Tribute to Cleto Escobedo III
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Jimmy Kimmel Launches Fundraisers in Tribute to Cleto Escobedo III

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Escobedo, who led the Jimmy Kimmel Live! house band since the show premiered in 2003, died at age 59

Jimmy Kimmel has launched two fundraisers in memory of Cleto Escobedo III, his childhood friend and the longtime bandleader of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Escobedo died on Tuesday at the age of 59.

“Cleto was always kind and eager to help others. As we mourn his loss, we have started two fundraisers to celebrate his life and give back,” wrote Kimmel in a social media post alongside photos of Escobedo and his family with their dog, and an image of Kimmel and his friend. “The first is for UCLA Medical Center where he received such incredible care. Together we can help vulnerable patients and families in need of financial assistance during hard times,” continued the late-night host. “And to honor his love of animals, the @TheAnimalFoundation in our hometown of Las Vegas.”

In his bio, Kimmel linked to the UCLA Health fundraiser page, which reads, “In memory of our friend Cleto, we’d like to thank all the hardworking specialists, doctors, and nurses at UCLA. They worked tirelessly and generously to give him the best care. … To honor his generous spirit, we’d like to help vulnerable patients and families in need of financial assistance during hard times.”

The host also pointed fans to the Animal Foundation, which is based in Las Vegas, where he and Escobedo grew up. “Cleto was a compassionate animal lover. He loved each of his rescue dogs like they were family,” read the foundation’s page. “Cleto would have loved his friends and family helping to provide safety, healing and homes for pets in need.”

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Escobedo died at UCLA Medical Center following complications related to a liver transplant. His cause of death was later revealed to be due to cardiogenic shock.

Kimmel paid tribute to his pal during his Tuesday night monologue. “It’s just not fair,” Kimmel said, breaking into tears. “He was the nicest, most humble, kind, and always funny person.” The host added, of the their shared success, “He loved me. He loved seeing all of this happen. He loved being a part of it. He never took it for granted…. He was just a great older brother. No baggage, all love. There’s no one in my life I felt more comfortable with.”

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Jimmy Kimmel on Cleto Escobedo's Health Battle Before Death
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Jimmy Kimmel on Cleto Escobedo’s Health Battle Before Death

by jummy84
written by jummy84

The “Straight Up” singer shared a sweet tribute Instagram Nov. 11 saying, “My heart is heavy today as we say goodbye to the incredible Cleto Escobedo III.”

Noting she first met Cleto when he was playing the saxophone at a small bar at Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace, Paula recalled, “I was putting together my band for my first world tour and the moment I heard him, I knew I had to hire him, even though he didn’t have any touring experience yet.”

She gushed that Cleto’s “talent and energy were undeniable” and that she was thrilled to see him “have an amazing career, reuniting with his best friend Jimmy Kimmel as the bandleader on Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

“Cleto was pure light and soul, both on and off stage,” she wrote. “Sending so much love to his family and everyone who loved him.”

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Cleto Escobedo III Remembered by ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ Bandmate
Music

Cleto Escobedo III Remembered by ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ Bandmate

by jummy84
written by jummy84


Jimmy Kimmel Live! was hit by tragedy this week when bandleader Cleto Escobedo III died from an undisclosed illness. “To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement,” Kimmel said in a statement. “Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old. The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true.” (Watch Kimmel’s 22-minute monologue tribute here.) The gig was also a dream for Jimmy Kimmel Live! keyboardist/musical arranger Jeff Babko, who worked alongside Escobedo for over 30 years, and considered him one of his closest friends. Babko hopped on the phone with Rolling Stone to look back at their time together. 

I don’t think I’ve ever seen television like Jimmy’s monologue the other night. It was something else. We were all feeling a lot, and I think it really showed what kind of family Jimmy created over there. If it’s not legit blood family, it’s one step removed. It’s pretty deep. And with Cleto gone, it’s all hitting hard. These events — the good ones and the bad ones — show our little show-family at its closest. It’s not making it easy.

I met Cleto in 1994. I was just out of college, on my first tour with Julio Iglesias. We’d play Caesars Palace a few times a year in the old Circus Maximus ballroom, the last of the old Vegas rooms still standing. Cleto’s dad was the valet, the butler backstage. Sammy Davis Jr. had gotten him that job years before, and Julio absolutely loved him. Cleto Sr. spoke Spanish, understood Julio in ways most people didn’t — his needs, his personality. He introduced himself to me right away, the friendliest guy, and he treated us musicians with this deep respect when most people treated us like the help. Only later did I learn he had been a musician himself, which explained everything.

Every time I was backstage, Cleto Sr. would tell me, “You gotta meet my son. He’s in L.A. He’s new to town. You’re the L.A. guy.” And then I came home and started following this band, Cecilia Noel and the Wild Clams. Wild is an understatement. Part Latin, part funky L.A. music, part simulated sex show, part complete insanity. Monday nights, Thursday nights — I was there every chance I got. Cecilia eventually asked me to join; I didn’t need rehearsal. I’d memorized the whole show just by being in the room.

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Jeff Babko and Cleto Escobedo III

Courtesy of Jeff Babko

And Cleto Jr. was in that band. Singing, playing sax. We really bonded there. One night after a gig, we all ended up at Jerry’s Famous Deli in Studio City. Cleto was holding court with the backup singers, telling horrible stories about his ex-girlfriend, animated and loose and hilarious. And I remember thinking, How do I not know this guy? He liked the way I played, especially the wah-wah pedal I used on keyboards. We kind of found each other right away — instant click. We became inseparable from that Jerry’s Deli moment.

We started doing everyday life together — cotton commercial auditions with the whole 13-piece band shoved into a tiny casting office (the band didn’t get the spot, but the overweight trumpet player did, which we thought was hilarious). We were broke together. If one of us needed $100 to get through the weekend, whoever had it loaned it. We ended up in the same apartment building — he was downstairs, I was upstairs. We hung out constantly. We built a little act at Café Cordiale on Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks, playing twice a month for six years. He was too humble to make a fool of himself onstage, and I had no problem doing that for both of us. That little band became the nucleus of the Cletones.

By the early 2000s, our Cordiale gig had become a kind of valley sensation — part middle-aged pickup joint, part musicians hang, and absolutely packed. Rumor was Jimmy Kimmel was going to get his own show after The Man Show ended. One night Jimmy came in with [executive] Lloyd Braun from ABC. We did our act — R&B, Stevie Wonder, Rufus, some bizarre Borscht Belt rock-and-roll humor. Lloyd stayed for three songs, smiled, left. Next thing we knew, we had a gig. This was late 2002.

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Cleto was out with Marc Anthony at the time, and I was juggling touring with Toto and working on The Martin Short Show. But the call came: help build the show open, figure out the music. We all knew most shows aren’t built to last — three weeks and gone. But we knew we loved Jimmy, and we knew we loved Cleto. We were all in.

The early days of Kimmel were chaos. Total party. The green room was a party. The show was trying to be what late night really was in Hollywood, which, it turns out, is not sustainable. We’d get three-week, six-week, nine-week pickups. The smell of pizza at rehearsal meant celebration: We got renewed again. That was how we lived. Two years in, it started to feel like maybe we would stick around.

Cleto had zero experience as a bandleader. None. If you asked him, he’d say, “I just hired the baddest motherfuckers I know and hoped for the best.” And that’s exactly what he did. Thankfully, Toshi [Yanagi],and I had done the Martin Short Show, the Wayne Brady Show, a few pilots — we had enough TV tricks to keep the train on the tracks. And Cleto trusted us. Always. He hired people he knew knew more than he did, which made him the best kind of leader.

Watching him with his dad was something beyond words. His dad had hung up his horn to get a steady job, to raise a family. He hung up his dreams. So when he picked up that horn again — because his son was giving him the stage he deserved — it was powerful. Music did what words could never do. It was soul-to-soul transmission. All of us — me, Toshi, Junior — we’re only children. That bond with a parent is deep. The three of them had this magic triangle. When Senior played with Junior, it was like watching someone step back into the life they were meant to live.

Musically, Cleto loved groove. He loved Stevie Wonder, Rufus, Donny Hathaway, Tower of Power, Sting. He loved the truth. His playing was soulful, genuine — no math, no patterns, no cerebral showing-off. Just purpose and soul. Every note meant something.

We connected deeply on early Late Night With David Letterman — Paul Shaffer, Steve Jordan, Hiram Bullock. If you shared that OG Letterman DNA, you instantly understood each other’s humor, timing, worldview. Letterman was our connective tissue. It fast-tracked me into his life, and honestly into Jimmy’s.

Kimmel and Escobedo in 2012

Richard Cartwright/Disney General Entertainment/Getty Images

As the show evolved, our music evolved. Early on we were trying to pilfer the KROQ playlist — Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters — instrumental versions that kept the energy young. But as the show grew up, we leaned into what two saxophones are supposed to do. A little more classy, a little jazzier. And Cleto always trusted me to write music that featured what we did well. He gave us freedom. If I needed to miss a show to record a film score, he insisted I go. “You never know how long a show will last,” he’d say. He was never threatened. He just wanted his people to shine.

And now — now that he’s gone — it’s hard to imagine coming back without him. For decades, Toshi, Cleto, and I could communicate entire conversations with a single look. Cultural opposites, but an only-children family. One of us is missing now.

The end was brutal. He got sick, and I won’t go into details, but I’ve never seen doctors and nurses love a patient like they loved him. He knew every RN, every tech, every doctor. Even when he couldn’t communicate, they experienced Cleto through us. They felt his spirit. I’ve never seen medical professionals break down like that. It was a testament to him — his kindness, his light.

Jimmy got everything right in that monologue, except one thing: it was a BB gun, not a shotgun, shooting down kites. Cleto corrected that story eight times. But Jimmy painted the picture. Cleto was humble. He wanted respect, but hated attention. Hard place to live. Those who knew, knew. And he got his flowers.

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Standing next to his dad during that monologue… I’ve never had to try that hard to be the strong one. His dad showed up in a suit, with his horn, ready to play. We played Grover Washington — the solo Cleto had air-saxophoned in his hospital bed just a week earlier. We played a song Cleto and I wrote for his mom 30 years ago. And we were going to play “Hard Times” by Ray Charles. I said to Senior: “That’s kind of your song, are you OK to play it? I thought we would play it without a sax, just as a tribute to you guys.” And his dad said, “You know, Jeff, I always hoped that he would play this when I died. This is wrong. It wasn’t supposed to go this way. But I have to play this for Junior.” And he played like I’ve never heard anyone play.

So we know this wasn’t by choice. He fought until the bitter end to stay here for his family. Last night, his his wife said, “I never wanted to do this alone.” And I said, “You couldn’t be less alone.” He spent a lifetime building friendships — deep, wide, loyal friendships. A chosen brotherhood. And I’m just so lucky I got to be his friend.

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Is Jimmy Kimmel Off the Air Again? Why the Show Isn’t on Now – Hollywood Life
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Is Jimmy Kimmel Off the Air Again? Why the Show Isn’t on Now – Hollywood Life

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Image Credit: Disney

Jimmy Kimmel announced to his audience on Tuesday, November 11, that his late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, would be off the air for a few days. For those who didn’t tune into the episode, some viewers were concerned about what this short-term hiatus means for the comedian. After all, ABC suspended his show for about a week just two months prior.

So, why is Kimmel off the air, and when is he expected to return? Below, here’s what you need to know about Kimmel’s temporary hiatus this week.

Is Jimmy Kimmel Off the Air Again?

Yes, but only for a brief time. Kimmel announced during his November 11 show that he and his crew would “take the next couple nights off.”

Is Jimmy Kimmel Off the Air Again? Why the Late Night Show Isn't on Now
(Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Samsung)

Why Is Jimmy Kimmel Not on the Air?

Kimmel’s show is on a brief hiatus due to the death of its house bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III, who died at the age of 59 on November 11. He is survived by his wife and children.

How Did Cleto Escobedo Die? His Cause of death

A cause of death for Escobedo was not immediately disclosed. However, Kimmel thanked the medical staff at UCLA Health for taking care of his late friend “during these awful few months.”

Was Cleto Escobedo Sick Before He Died?

Neither Kimmel nor anyone from Escobedo’s inner circle has revealed whether or not the musician was battling an illness. Page Six reported that Escobedo had complications from a liver transplant.

Is Jimmy Kimmel Off the Air Again? Why the Late Night Show Isn't on Now
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When Will Jimmy Kimmel Be Back on the Air?

There is no definitive answer on which day Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be back on the air, but his hiatus will only be a “couple” of nights, he said.

During the talk show host’s emotional monologue, Kimmel began by saying this was his “hardest” in more than 20 years.

“We’ve been on the air for almost 23 years, and I’ve had to do some hard monologues along the way, but this one’s the hardest,” Kimmel said through tears. “Early this morning, we lost someone very special, who was much too young to go, and I’d like to tell you about him.”

Kimmel added that he was “grateful for my friends, Cleto’s friends … everyone who checked in on him, everyone who called and visited him, who’ve been helping his family. Everyone here at our show has been so supportive.”

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Jimmy Kimmel and Cleto Escobedo III
TV & Streaming

Jimmy Kimmel Remembers His Longtime Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Jimmy Kimmel is paying tribute to Cleto Escobedo III, his childhood best friend and longtime bandleader for his late night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, who died on Tuesday at 59.

During his 22-minute monologue (below), which he called his “hardest” to date, the host recalled tons of memories he shared with Escobedo over the years. The pair became best friends as children after Kimmel’s family moved in across the street from Escobedo’s home in Las Vegas. Once Kimmel later landed his show at ABC in 2003, he brought Escobedo and his band, Cleto and the Cletones, along since the beginning.

“We had so many adventures,” Kimmel said through tears during Tuesday’s show. “We would laugh so hard. We had our own language that almost no one else understood. We didn’t have to say anything. We’d sit here at rehearsal every day. We didn’t have to look at each other. I knew he was thinking about looking at me and I was thinking about looking at him. We look at each other like this and that would be it.”

Kimmel continued, “We loved all the same things. Baseball, fishing, boxing, [Muhammad] Ali, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Woody Allen, Michael McDonald, Huey Lewis, Stevie Wonder, and most of all, we love David Letterman. We never missed David Letterman. And the first time I was on the [Late Show with David Letterman] was in 1999. It was a really big deal for both of us. That afternoon before the show, I was so nervous. I was walking in New York City, just walking fast, trying to burn off the nervous energy, and I called him just so we could be amazed together that this was happening and it was an amazing thing.”

The comedian went on to praise how “phenomenal” a saxophone player Escobedo was from a young age: “He was a child prodigy who would get standing ovations in junior high school, if you can imagine that.” And once ABC hired Kimmel to host Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he knew he had to bring his best friend along for the journey.

“One day in September of 2002, I got a talk show just out of nowhere. I had a meeting with an executive at ABC named Lloyd Braun and he hired me to host this show. And when you do a show like this, you need a few things. You need a desk, you need an announcer, you need a Guillermo and you need a band. And of course, I wanted Cleto to lead my band,” Kimmel explained. “The idea that anyone other than him would lead the band was terrifying. It had to be him. I was so scared they would say no and I would have to have another band.”

Kimmel eventually found the courage to pitch the idea to ABC, and said Escobedo and his father ended up auditioning for the job together.

“Not only did I want Cleto to lead the band, I wanted his dad to be in the band. So, I pitched it to Lloyd,” he recalled. “Cleto and his dad did a special song. They played ‘Pick Up the Pieces’ by the Average White Band, which is two saxophones. And Lloyd saw it. He saw the father and son together. He said, ‘I love it.’ And he just got up and left. And we’ve been working together every day for almost 23 years now.”

An emotional Kimmel added, “I’ve often said that the single best thing about doing this show was getting the opportunity to allow Cleto Senior to pick up where he left off in 1966 and become a musician again with his son.”

The host continued to express how much “everyone loves Cleto,” and that “everyone here at the show, we are devastated.” He also noted that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be taking a few nights off following Escobedo’s death.

“Even though I’m heartbroken to lose him,” a teary-eyed Kimmel continued, “I’m going to take yet another lesson from him and acknowledge how lucky I was to have him literally at my side for so many years.”

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Jimmy Kimmel Live
TV & Streaming

Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert Give Trump Credit for Gaza Deal

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert gave their reactions to the Gaza peace deal on Monday night. Both late night hosts conceded that President Donald Trump successfully helped broker a breakthrough ceasefire that resulted in Hamas releasing the remaining Israeli hostages, while still finding plenty of other things to criticize the president about.

“What a day for Donald Trump,” Kimmel said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! “You know what? He finally did something positive today and I want to give him credit for it — because I know he’s not the type to take credit for himself … While we’re only in the first phase of what will undoubtedly be a long and tricky process, but the fact is the bombing has stopped, the hostages have been released, and Trump deserves some of the praise for that. So I know it sounds crazy to say, but good work on that one, President Trump. Now maybe you can not invade Portland. Just an idea.

“Trump’s been lobbying hard to try to win the Nobel Prize for peace,” he added. “Now Trump’s focused on winning the prize next year, which is fine. Let him keep trying to make peace. I’m fine with coming up with prizes and trophies to motivate. Give them the ‘Nobel Re-Open the Government and Leave Healthcare Alone’ prize.”

Colbert, who was off last week, opened with a breathless rundown of all the news he missed: “The government shutdown is headed into its third week; Trump fired more than 4,000 federal workers; the DOJ charged New York Attorney General Leticia James with fraud after Trump’s pressure campaign; Trump sent troops to Chicago and Portland and is threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act; Trump announced a whopping 100 percent new tariff on China, which caused the stock market to have its worst day in six months — and Taylor Swift dropped her new album, The Life of the Showgirl, to merely mixed reviews,” Colbert said on CBS’ The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. “Well, those reviewers are just jealous of her talent and of Travis Kelce’s majestic redwood.”

Then Colbert got to the peace deal, and he had quite a lot to say about it.

“There is some good news out there today: Thanks to Trump’s newly brokered ceasefire in Gaza, all living Israeli hostages and almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners have been released,” Colbert said to audience cheers. “It’s important. Credit where credit is due — Donald Trump did something good.”

Colbert paused for a quick beat. The audience remained silent.

“Are we still canceled?” Colbert asked, looking offstage. “You sure? I tried.

“It’s kind of surprising to see him do something good,” Colbert marveled. “It reminds me of in Empire Strikes Back when Darth Vader revealed this shocking secret.”

There was then a quick cut to the famous climax of the Star Wars film, only instead of Vader intoning, “I am your father,” he said, “I am an organ donor.”

“Despite the deal on Friday, in a truly foreseeable turn of events, Trump did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize,” Colbert continued. “How dare you, Nobel Committee? The man is a paragon of peace. He walks in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King … After losing his campaign for the thing you don’t campaign for, Trump said he didn’t do the peace deal for the Nobel. And the White House communications director, Steven Chung, agreed, saying, ‘President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian.’ We remove that heart from one of the detainees in our ICE facilities. He keeps it in the Oval Office next to the Diet Coke button in a little bowl.”

Colbert then said, “On his flight over to Israel, Trump was asked by Fox News whether the ceasefire he brokered might help him in the afterlife,” before playing a clip of Trump responding, “‘I don’t think there’s anything [that’s] going to get me into heaven.’ I agree with Donald Trump. While Trump tries to bring peace to the Middle East, he’s trying just as hard to bring war to the Midwest. And personally I’m horrified to see how he’s stomping on my old stomping grounds of Chicago, Illinois, where I lived for over a decade. ICE has been terrorizing communities in the Windy City, going door to door in front of elementary schools, arresting immigrants, legal or otherwise, arresting U.S. citizens without any due process and teargassing journalists who are merely reporting on what they’re doing.”

Here are last night’s monologues from ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and CBS’ The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, below:

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Jimmy Kimmel Backs Dana Walden as Next Disney CEO
TV & Streaming

Jimmy Kimmel Backs Dana Walden as Next Disney CEO

by jummy84
written by jummy84

The second to last question Bloomberg’s Lucas Show asked of Jimmy Kimmel in the final moments of their interview at Screentime in Los Angeles on Wednesday evening just so happened to be the million- dollar one that all of Hollywood has been asking for quite some time: Who is going to be the next CEO of Disney?

“I happen to love Dana Walden very much, and I think she’s done a great job,” Kimmel said after acknowledging that it would be “very foolish” of him to offer any response at all, which makes sense considering his status as one of the studio’s high-profile in-house talents. But he’s had a lot of dealings with Disney’s executive class as the host of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and a direct line to the very top in recent days amid his controversial suspension.

He factored the latter into his decision to back Walden: “I think what has happened over the last like three weeks was very unfair to my bosses at Disney. I don’t think anyone should ever be put in a position like this. It is insane, and I hope that we drew a really, really bold red line as Americans about what we will and will not accept, and really hope that that’s what comes out of all of it.”

Kimmel and Walden.

(Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation)

Kimmel’s Screentime appearance came two weeks after he returned to the airwaves on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! following a brief but monumental suspension that kicked off a debate over free speech. It all started when Kimmel delivered comments on the Sept. 15 edition of his show about Charlie Kirk’s assassin, saying, “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.”

The moment went viral and sparked backlash. Brendan Carr was among those who commented, and the FCC chair went so far as to threaten ABC’s affiliate licenses. Two days later, Disney bosses made the decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a suspension that lasted less than a week amid widespread backlash from Hollywood’s creative community, which turned out to support the beloved host online and in real life. His return, marked by a nearly 30-minute opening, delivered record ratings and found Kimmel expressing gratitude to his supporters, clarifying his comments about Kirk and defending free speech.

At Screentime, Kimmel elaborated on the behind-the-scenes negotiations as his show went dark. “I hate to disappoint you, but they were really good conversations. I mean, like, really good conversations,” Kimmel said of chats with Walden and current CEO Bob Iger. “These are people that I I’ve known for a long time, and who I like very much. And we all wanted this to work out best.”

That said, the firestorm did disrupt their schedules. “First of all, I ruined Dana’s weekend. It was just nonstop phone calls all weekend. But I don’t think the result would have been as positive if I hadn’t talked to Dana as much as I did, because it helped me think everything through. And it helped me understand where everyone was coming from. I can sometimes be reactionary, I can sometimes be aggressive, and I can sometimes be unpleasant. And having those days to think about it was helpful.”

Kimmel had a lot to think about Wednesday night as Shaw grilled him on the suspension, his prediction on the future of late night TV, the economics of his show, whether he plans to re-up his contract next year and what he really thinks of the Riyadh Comedy Festival. Highlights are below.

Kimmel Thought His Show Might Never Come Back

During his suspension, the veteran host thought it his run might be over. “I’m a troublemaker, just by nature,” he said in recalling his early days hosting the show at a time when the Los Angeles Lakers faced off with the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA playoffs. “I said something to the effect of, ‘Well, I hope they don’t burn Detroit down.’ And everyone in Detroit was very unhappy. People were mad, and they pulled me off the air in Detroit. A guy who’s really been like my mentor at ABC, Alex Wallau, said to me, ‘You know, if we don’t have Detroit, you’re done with the show. The show’s over.’ I said, ‘Really?’ He said, ‘Yeah, you can’t go forward without a major market like that,’ which was news to me. So I went to Detroit and did the show for a week and kissed as much ass as I possibly could.”

Knowing the implications of losing one major market loomed large over the suspension that saw around 70 ABC affiliate stations owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group dropping the show. “Knowing that, I was like, well that’s it.” That and Kimmel added that he was not going to go along with the “list of demands” presented to him by those affiliates, which included an apology and a donation to Kirk’s Turning Point USA. “I said to my wife, ‘That’s it. It’s over.’”

As Kimmel Finalized Return, He Knew “Spirit” of Monologue

As the powers-that-be hashed out a plan for Kimmel’s return to the airwaves, they didn’t formalize exactly what he would say on the first night back but rather they agreed on the “spirit” of those comments. “Ultimately, I wanted to kind of cover every base if I could,” he said. “It was something really that had to come from inside me. It had to be truthful, and I had to lay it all out there and just be honest about what I was feeling and what I’d experienced. I think that it probably went about as well as it could go. I knew that it wasn’t going to be perfect. There were always going to be people that didn’t like it and didn’t accept it, but the important thing to me was that I was able to explain what I was trying to say.”

Kimmel Doesn’t Believe Economics Led to Stephen Colbert’s Cancellation

In July, CBS confirmed in a shock announcement that it was pulling the plug on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. In the months since, much has been made about the reasons why, and Kimmel said that he doesn’t believe the reports that claim it’s because Colbert’s show was losing upward of $40 million per year. “Because it just doesn’t make any sense. I know what the budgets for these shows are. I know what I make. I know what Stephen makes. I know what the ad sales people make. I know that there are values that nobody bothers to consider, like the affiliate fees that have to get to account for a portion of that when you talk about an hour of television every night, five nights a week. I know that it’s not $40 million. Is the show losing money? That I don’t know? I can’t imagine it’s losing a lot of money, if it is.” Shaw then asked Kimmel for a “ballpark” figure of what a show like his costs to produce. “$120 million,” he confirmed. “I know that if we’re losing so much money, none of us would be on. That’s kind of all you need to know. This is not PBS, you know?”

Kimmel on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

Scott Kowalchyk/CBS

Late Night Can Survive — At a Cost

Amid industry-wide concerns about the future of late night, Kimmel said he doesn’t believe there’s a reason for these shows to go away entirely. “There are ways,” he said, pointing to tighter production costs. “The idea that these shows need to cost $120 million is crazy. They don’t need to cost $120 million, and somebody will figure it out…. You could still have the same format, you could still have a band, you could have all of those things and still do the show for a lot less money. It’s just that the host is not going to make as much money, and the audience isn’t going to be as big. But that’s OK, because I love seeing these things, and I love the idea that people can make a living with 200,000 viewers every day or every night. And they can talk about weirdly specific things, and those people who are really interested in those weirdly specific things have a place to take those to absorb that stuff. I think that’s great. I love the idea that a 16-year-old can have their own TV show.”

Kimmel Would’ve Said No to Riyadh Comedy Festival

In recent days, the Riyadh Comedy Festival has caused a firestorm of controversy, and the subject came up as Shaw asked Kimmel about having Aziz Ansari on his show recently to promote his new film Good Fortune. Ansari was among the 50 or so comedians who traveled to Saudi Arabia, and Shaw indicated that Kimmel’s line of questioning made it seem like he was against the event. “I wouldn’t have gone, but I wanted to hear his reasons, and I thought he had some compelling reasons,” Kimmel explained. “Nothing’s black and white. It’s not something I would do but I do understand the idea that if we close ourselves off to the world, or we isolate, that maybe it’s not good.” Kimmel continued by saying that while traveling “many of us” don’t want to be held accountable for what President Trump says. “I’m fortunate enough to be well known, and people know where I’m coming from but it would be a different situation if people didn’t know who I was. Probably the first thing I’d say as I got into every cab is, ‘I didn’t vote for him, just FYI so you know.’ I do think that kind of makes me understand [their] position better.”

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Jimmy Kimmel Challenges Aziz Ansari Over Saudi Arabia Comedy Festival
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Jimmy Kimmel Challenges Aziz Ansari Over Saudi Arabia Comedy Festival

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Aziz Ansari was among the comedians who recently traveled to Saudi Arabia to perform at the controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival, a decision that raised eyebrows and prompted questions from Jimmy Kimmel.

Ansari appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday, October 6th, to promote his feature directorial debut, Good Fortune. Toward the end of the interview, Kimmel took the opportunity to ask Ansari about his choice to perform at the festival.

“People are questioning why you would go over there and take their money to perform in front of these people,” Kimmel commented. “This is something that’s become a big part of the news because people, a lot of comedians especially, are very upset because the people who paid the comedians to come to this are not good people. It’s a pretty brutal regime. They’ve done a lot of horrible, horrible things… I’m curious as to why you decided to do that.”

Ansari noted that “it’s something I put a lot of thought into” before deciding to accept the invitation.

“I have an aunt that lived there for a while, and I talked to her about this, and she said, you know, there’s people over there that don’t agree with the stuff that the government’s doing, and to ascribe like the worst behavior of the government onto those people, that’s not fair,” Ansari explained. “Just like there’s people in America that don’t agree with the things the government is doing, right?”

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Kimmel continued to press Ansari, saying that while the American government is doing “horrible things,” he called out the Saudi government for extreme atrocities, saying, “They murdered a journalist,” in reference to the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, adding that “these are not good people over there.”

“I was just there to do a show for the people, and I talked to my wife about this before I went, and she said, you know, whenever there’s repressive societies like this, they try to keep things out, whether it’s rock and roll music, or, blue jeans, because it makes people curious about outside ideas, outside values,” Ansari said. “And this is a very young country, like half the country is under the age of 25, and things can really change. And to me, a comedy festival felt like something that’s pushing things to be more open and to push a dialogue. You kind of have to make a choice of whether you’re going to isolate or engage.”

Later on in the interview, Ansari shared that after accepting the invitation to perform, he decided that part of his fee would go towards “causes that support free press and human rights,” specifying Reporters Without Borders and Human Rights Watch.

“It’s a complicated issue, but I felt like it was something that was pushing things in the right direction, I hope,” Ansari added. Watch the full interview below.

Bill Burr, who also appeared at the festival, used his podcast to defend the decision, calling it a “great” experience, and concluding that the people there are “just like us.”

Dave Chappelle declared that “it’s easier to talk here (in Saudi Arabia) than it is in America” during his set at the festival.

Lesbian comic Jessica Kirson apologized for performing at the event, while Louis C.K. has defended his decision to appear.

Other comedians who performed at the Riyadh Comedy Festival include Sebastian Maniscalco, Kevin Hart, Chris Tucker, Pete Davidson, and Whitney Cummings.

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