Jimmy Kimmel Keeps His Job Despite Melania Trump ‘Widow’ Joke Controversy
Key Points
- ABC says it will not suspend or fire Kimmel, resuming his tapings as usual.
- "Expectant widow" joke about Melania provoked backlash and intensified after a related venue shooting.
- Kimmel defended it as age-gap humor, denying any suggestion it incited violence.
JIMMY Kimmel is staying put at ABC despite fierce backlash over his ‘expectant widow’ joke about Melania Trump.
An insider revealed to New York Post gossip column Page Six that the network is “sticking by” the late-night host and has no plans to suspend or fire him.
The joke aired during an alternative White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where Kimmel quipped, “You have a glow like an expectant widow,” aimed at Melania Trump.
Days later, a gunman attacked the venue, intensifying the controversy.
Melania slammed Kimmel on X, calling his words “corrosive” and accusing him of spreading hate.
Donald Trump demanded Kimmel’s immediate firing, branding the joke “shocking” and “far beyond the pale.”
Kimmel defended himself on Monday’s show, insisting the joke targeted the couple’s age gap and was “not by any stretch a call to assassination.”
He also expressed sympathy for Melania, acknowledging how “traumatic and scary” the shooting must have been.
George Clooney weighed in at a recent gala, backing Kimmel with the simple line, “Jokes are jokes.”
Last year, Kimmel faced a brief suspension over comments about Charlie Kirk’s death but returned to record ratings and has since renewed his contract through May 2027.
The ABC insider confirmed, “It’s back to taping per usual. They’re moving on,” signalling the network’s clear support despite the storm.
