Lost Creator Says He'll Shun Disney Over Kimmel

Damon Lindelof, the acclaimed creator behind Lost and Watchmen, says he won't work with Disney as long as Jimmy Kimmel's show remains suspended. Jimmy Kimmel Live! was pulled by ABC on Wednesday after Nexstar, a major TV-station owner, objected to Kimmel's remarks about the MAGA movement's reaction to Charlie Kirk's murder. Sources tell Deadline that the call was made by top execs at Disney, ABC's parent company. In an Instagram post, Lindelof said he was "shocked, saddened, and infuriated" by the suspension and looks forward to it being lifted soon. "If it isn't, I can't in good conscience work for the company that imposed it," he wrote.

Lindelof, who has known Kimmel since 2004, vouched for the host's character, describing him as "caring and empathic," and a true patriot, Vulture reports. "You know he supported his crew through multiple strikes and you know he is generous and philanthropic and most of all, you know that he is kind." He also praised Kimmel's wife, Molly, who serves as the show's head writer, calling her "his better three quarters." Lindelof added: "If you're about to fire up in my comments, just ask yourself if you know the difference between hate speech and a joke."

Support for Kimmel has been widespread, with Jon Stewart, David Letterman, Marc Maron, and unions like the WGA and SAG-AFTRA all weighing in. Activist group 50501 has also joined calls for a Disney boycott, but Lindelof is the first prominent creator to say he'll cut professional ties entirely if the suspension continues. On social media, users have been calling for boycotts of Disney, ABC, and Hulu, the Arizona Republic reports.

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• After Kirk was shot last week, Kimmel called it a "senseless murder" and condemned those who celebrated it, the AP notes.
• Conservatives were angered, however, by his Monday monologue. "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," Kimmel said. When the suspect was formally charged the next day, prosecutors said Tyler Robinson's mother told investigators he "had started to lean more to the left" over the last year.
• FCC Chairman Brendan Carr told CNBC Thursday that Kimmel's remarks weren't a joke. "It was appearing to directly mislead the American public about a significant fact that probably one of the most significant political events we've had in a long time, for the most significant political assassination we've seen in a long time," he said. The FCC threatened to take action against ABC and Disney hours before Kimmel's show was suspended.