Jimmy Kimmel signs one-year contract extension with ABC
Months after his suspension, Jimmy Kimmel has signed a yearlong contract extension with ABC. The agreement would keep him on air through at least May 2027, despite President Donald Trump's wishes.
Despite President Donald Trump’s wishes, Jimmy Kimmel won’t be going off the air any time soon.
ABC announced the network signed a one-year contract extension with the late-night host on Monday.
Kimmel’s previous, multiyear contract was set to expire in May. The extension means Jimmy Kimmel Live! will continue through at least May of 2027.
The news comes on the heels of Kimmel’s temporary suspension following remarks he made about the assassination of conservative activist, Charlie Kirk. Trump praised the suspension at the time.
Following a public outcry, ABC lifted the suspension, and Kimmel returned to the air with stronger ratings than he had before.
» READ MORE: Jimmy Kimmel returns to ABC
Since then, Trump has continued to take jabs at Kimmel, who has resumed making jokes and digs at the president’s expense, performing a 10-minute monologue on Trump and the Jeffrey Epstein files in one episode and ragging on his approval ratings.
Kimmel lingered on Trump’s mind Sunday as the president hosted the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington.
“I’ve watched some of the people that host,” Trump said. “Jimmy Kimmel was horrible, and some of these people, if I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president.” (Kimmel has never hosted the Kennedy Center Honors. He has hosted the Oscars four times.)
Trump has continued to set his sights on other late-night TV hosts, including Stephen Colbert — whose show will end in May with CBS citing financial reasons for its cancelation — Jon Stewart, and, most recently, Seth Meyers.
Stewart will remain at his weekly post on The Daily Show for another year, Paramount, a Skydance Corporation, announced last month. Meyers’ Late Night with Seth Meyers is under contract with NBC through 2028.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.