'The View' Finally Speaks on Jimmy Kimmel's Suspension, "No One Silences Us"

To say that it’s been a rough week for The Walt Disney Company and ABC would be an understatement. Disney has been plagued with protests outside its Burbank lot, so many Disney+ cancellations that the site reportedly crashed, a drop in its stock price, and multiple Disney stars telling their followers to boycott the company.

The backlash against the Mouse House kicked off last week when Disney announced that it was immediately pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! following the decision by NexStar Media and Sinclair Broadcasting to refuse to air his show. Sinclair and NexStar chose to pull the late-night show after comments Mr. Kimmel made about Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump.

Jimmy Kimmel sat in front of a mirror with "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" written on the right — Credit: ABC Promotional Image

Disney has remained silent since pulling Mr. Kimmel off the air, but there have been reports that Mr. Kimmel and his lawyers are meeting with Disney to figure out how to get his show back on. However, that might be easier said than done, considering Sinclair Broadcasting said it would not air the late-night show until Mr. Kimmel met a specific set of demands.

Mr. Kimmel reportedly said that he would not apologize for his comments, saying that they were being “mischaracterized.” He further allegedly told Disney that he would not “kowtow to the outrage.”

While many people were outspoken on the Kimmel controversy, one group was notably quiet—the women of The View. However, that has now changed dramatically.

Credit: Video Screenshot, ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’, ABC

After remaining quiet for two episodes, The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg let the audience know that they would be discussing Kimmel’s suspension, saying, “No one silences us.”

Goldberg then said that they had not discussed the topic because they wanted to wait and see if Mr. Kimmel released a statement.

“Did y’all really think we weren’t going to talk about Jimmy Kimmel? I mean, have you watched the show over the last 29 seasons? No one silences us.”

“When the news broke last week about Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, we took a breath to see if Jimmy was going to say anything about it first. You can not like a show and it can go off the air. Someone can say something they shouldn’t and get taken off the air. But the government cannot apply pressure to force someone to be silenced.”

Credit: Video Screenshot, ‘The View’, ABC

Co-hosts Anna Navarro and Alyssa Farah Griffin both commented on the FCC threatening Disney, calling it an attack on Mr. Kimmel’s First Amendment right to free speech.

Ms. Navarro said:

“I don’t understand how in this country, where the First Amendment was made to the Constitution to guarantee freedom of the press and freedom of speech, how the government itself is using its weight and power to bully and scare people into silence.”

Ms. Goldberg also said that the group will always fight for free speech.

“We talk about freedom of speech a lot because we are always in somebody’s mess because somebody has decided that we have said something that’s offensive. But we fight for everybody’s right to have freedom of speech because it means my speech is free, it means your speech is free.”

Two women on the set of "The View," one speaking animatedly with hands raised and the other listening attentively, both sitting at a desk with mugs and notes. — Credit: Video Screenshot, ‘The View, ABC

Not long after Jimmy Kimmel Live! was “indefinitely” suspended, the head of the FCC, Brendan Carr, said that he was considering instructing his department to investigate The View for violating the Equal Opportunity Rule, which typically applies to “bona fide newscasts,” but can apply to talk shows under certain circumstances. However, the women of the popular show refused to back down or cave to his threats.

In another shocking move, on the afternoon of September 22, Disney announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be returning to its late-night slot beginning September 23. In a statement, the company says that it had suspended the show due to what the company perceived as “ill-timed” comments, but after having “thoughtful conversations with Jimmy,” the suspension was lifted.

Do you think it was brave for the women of The View to speak out on Mr. Kimmel’s suspension, despite the threat of an investigation? Do you think a show should be suspended because its host says something some people do not like? Do you think Disney should have ever canceled Jimmy Kimmel Live!? Let us know your thoughts on this controversial issue in the comments!