Disney insiders are offering sharply different accounts of Jimmy Kimmel’s willingness to promote the company’s other shows as ABC weighs the future of its longtime late-night host.
The backstage complaints surfaced in a Page Six report about a partnership that began when Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered in 2003.
Kimmel’s representative and ABC Entertainment did not comment on the report. Other sources quoted in the story offered a defense of his contributions to the company.
Disney President and Chief Creative Officer Dana Walden has publicly described Kimmel as a close friend while acknowledging that executives are still working through the show’s future.
Insiders Criticize Kimmel’s Cooperation as Others Cite His Guest List
One source said Kimmel had “never played well in the sandbox,” alleging that he resisted appearances on ABC’s Good Morning America and The View because he did not want to act as a promoter for Disney.
The same insider claimed Kimmel expected other programs to promote his projects without returning the favor. Complaints included a lack of invitations to ABC News personalities and other New York-based Disney talent when his show traveled to Brooklyn.
Another source called him “unmanageable” and cited his jokes about Disney executives during the company’s May upfront presentation, where networks pitch upcoming programming to advertisers. That source described the roasting as uncomfortable.
Insiders defending Kimmel said the show had welcomed 66 Disney-connected promotional guests since October 2025. They also cited his May appearance on Good Morning America, appearances on Live with Kelly and Mark and recorded messages for ABC’s local affiliate stations.
His defenders also pointed to his repeated Oscars hosting assignments, which put him at the center of one of ABC’s major live broadcasts.
Kimmel Returned to ABC Six Days After His 2025 Suspension
ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Sept. 17, 2025, following his remarks about reactions to conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing. The show returned on Sept. 23 after Disney said it had held discussions with Kimmel, according to ABC News.
Page Six’s sources said Kimmel felt unprotected by the network during that episode. One insider argued that he had become more cooperative afterward because his position was less secure.
During a Sept. 30, 2025, appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Kimmel recalled receiving the suspension call about 90 minutes before his scheduled taping. He said the audience was already seated when he learned the show had been pulled.
Executives wanted to “take the temperature down” and were worried about what he might say in that night’s monologue. “I’m never coming back on the air,” he recalled thinking, according to PEOPLE.
ABC Rejected a September Report About Kimmel’s Exit
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A one-year extension announced in December 2025 keeps Kimmel at ABC through at least May 2027, covering the 2026-27 television season, ABC News reported.
Page Six reported on Sept. 8, 2026, that the network would not renew his deal. An ABC Entertainment spokesperson disputed the account in a statement to Us Weekly: “This information is inaccurate. Any reports about the future of the show at this point are purely speculative.”
Walden Says Higher Ratings Face a Shrinking Broadcast Audience
At Bloomberg’s Screentime conference on Oct. 1, Walden declined to announce whether Kimmel would continue hosting beyond his existing agreement.
She praised his performance and said his ratings were improving, but described late night as a “very challenging daypart.” Those gains, she explained, came within a smaller overall audience for late-night broadcast television.
Walden also addressed the millions of people watching clips on YouTube and social media. Those platforms do not generate the same advertising returns as traditional television, she said, making it difficult to support an expensive talk show through digital viewing.
Walden said the decision would also take account of Kimmel’s own plans. “We’re trying to make sense of the business while also honoring a deep partnership,” she said, according to Us Weekly.