Jimmy Kimmel garnered controversy earlier this year over comments made about Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer. It resulted in him getting pulled from TV until backlash over censorship brought him back.
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Now, Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk is speaking out about the whole debacle. According to Erika, the broadcasting network behind Jimmy Kimmel Live! reached out to try to apologize to the widow. According to Kirk, Sinclair Broadcast approached her, asking if she would appear on Kimmel’s show. They planned to have the comedian publicly apologize to her on the air.
Erika declined.
Jimmy Kimmel Monologue
“I told them thank you we received their note. This is not our issue. It’s not our mess,” she told Fox News. “If you wanna say I’m sorry to someone who’s grieving, go right ahead. But if that’s not in your heart, then don’t do it. I don’t want it. I don’t need it.”
Kimmel was pulled from the air over a September 15 monologue about alleged gunman, Tyler Robinson. At the time, he said, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Upon returning to the air after his suspension, Kimmel offered an apology to everyone. He said he wasn’t trying to make light of the situation. The comedian appeared uncharacteristically emotional during the monologue.
“You understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” Kimmel said. “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”
He also noted at the time that Erika chose to forgive Robinson and how that also impacted him as well.
“She forgave him. That is an example we should follow,” Kimmel said. “If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do, there it was. That, that’s it. A selfless act of grace. Forgiveness from a grieving widow.”
“It touched me deeply, and I hope it touches many,” Kimmel said. “And if there’s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that.”