Jimmy Kimmel clarified that the joke was regarding the couple’s age difference and was never intended as a call to violence|@jimmykimmel|X
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel addressed the intense backlash from President Donald Trump and the First Lady, who have called on Disney and ABC to fire him due to a controversial joke.
Their outrage began from a skit aired last Thursday, where Kimmel jokes that Melania Trump possessed a “glow like an expectant widow.”
In response, Kimmel clarified that the joke was regarding the couple’s age difference and was never intended as a call to violence. He stressed his long-standing stance against gun violence, calling the shooting “traumatic and scary.”
The Kimmel controversy places significant pressure on Disney as it navigates the intersection of corporate policy and free speech under President Trump’s scrutiny.