Jimmy Kimmel Says He Was “Deeply Touched” By Erika Kirk’s Declaration Of Forgiveness To Man Who Assassinated Her Husband

Jimmy Kimmel returned to late night last night, and he did his best to clear everything up.

As you likely already know, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was pulled off the air last week, when ABC and its parent company (Disney) decided to suspend Jimmy Kimmel and temporarily remove his show after he made comments about the person who assassinated Charlie Kirk.

On one side, many believed that the decision by the network to pull the show was valid… and a good number of people, like President Donald Trump, thought the decision should have been permanent. Arguing that he intentionally lied about the political affiliation of the shooter, many said that his private employer (ABC) absolutely should’ve suspended him. However, others called out what appeared to to be the government silencing the media through the FCC, and argued that Kimmel being taken off the air for something that he said is a violation of the first amendment, which protects free speech.

When Kimmel’s show was reinstated, that was the main focal point: Free speech. That being said, he took plenty of time to apologize for his comments that were deemed offensive, and even teared up as he explained his point of view:

“I don’t think what I have to say is going to make much of a difference. If you like me, you like me, if you don’t you don’t. I have no illusions about changing anyone’s mind. But I do have to make something clear because it’s important to me as a human, and that is you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man.

I don’t think there’s anything funny about it… Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but I understand that to some that felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both. And for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset. If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I’d have felt the same way.”

Many were quick to call those “crocodile tears,” but I don’t know… from my vantage point, that seems like a very genuine address to the seriousness of the situation.

Kimmel went on to thank all of those who had supported him during his time off air. He mentioned a plethora of fellow late night hosts, present and former, that reached out, and Jimmy also made sure to thank his audience. Then, Kimmel “reached across the aisle” and shouted out all of those people that spoke out on his behalf who have traditionally opposed him:

“I want to thank the people who don’t support my show and what I believe, but support my right to share those beliefs anyway. People who I never would have imagined, like Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Candace Owens, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul (and) even my old pal Ted Cruz.”

Coming together in the name of free speech.

And in what was probably the most moving portion of Jimmy’s monologue, the late night host pointed out a special moment from Charlie Kirk’s memorial service this past Sunday. Kimmel, who gave his thoughts and prayers to the Kirk family directly following the tragedy, shared that he was very moved to see Erika Kirk openly forgive the person who shot and killed her husband:

“There was a beautiful moment over the weekend. On Sunday, Erika Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. She forgave him. That is an example we should follow. If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do, there it was. That’s it. A selfless act of grace… forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply, and I hope it touches many. If there’s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that. Not this.”

Of course, Jimmy has a rather long history of NOT extending forgiveness, or even understanding, to people who think differently than him, so hopefully this marks a turning point in his life. One can hope…

The post Jimmy Kimmel Says He Was “Deeply Touched” By Erika Kirk’s Declaration Of Forgiveness To Man Who Assassinated Her Husband first appeared on Whiskey Riff.