A lot of people online are buzzing about what Jimmy Kimmel’s wife, Molly McNearney, recently said in a podcast interview. The headline that got everyone talking? That their kids cried and asked if President Trump was behind Jimmy Kimmel’s show getting suspended. It sounds dramatic — and it is — but what’s really going on here?
Let’s unpack it.
On the “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast, Molly McNearney shared a story about the day they had to tell their two kids that Jimmy’s ABC late-night show had been suspended. She said that when they walked in the door after school, they tried to act normal, even though their phones were buzzing non-stop and helicopters were flying over their house.
Eventually, they sat the kids down and told them, “Daddy’s show has been suspended.” According to McNearney, their daughter burst into tears and said she’d sell her favorite toy, a stuffed animal named Labubus, to help.
That’s when their 8-year-old son asked, “Did the president do this?”
McNearney says both she and Kimmel told him, “Yes.”
Here’s the thing: President Trump did not suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s show.
Jimmy Kimmel was suspended in September by Disney, the company that owns ABC, after he made a controversial comment about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kimmel had suggested that the killer might be connected to the MAGA movement, even though reports showed the suspect had left-wing leanings and mental health issues.
That comment didn’t sit well with some major broadcast partners. Nexstar and Sinclair, two large media companies that air ABC content in many parts of the country, said they wouldn’t carry Kimmel’s show anymore because of what he said. They called his remarks “offensive and insensitive” and said they wanted to bring back “respectful, constructive dialogue.”
In other words, this wasn’t some secret takedown by President Trump or the government. It was a decision made by Kimmel’s bosses and partner networks because of something he said that crossed a line.
So why did Kimmel and McNearney tell their kids the president did it?
It’s hard to say for sure, but the podcast gives us a few clues. McNearney talked about how her relationships with Trump-supporting family members have fallen apart. She said she’s angry all the time and that she once sent emails begging her family not to vote for Trump. Most didn’t respond, and some gave what she called “insane” replies.
To her, a vote for Trump is a vote against her husband and their family. She even said, “My husband is out there fighting this man.” That’s strong language — and it shows just how personal politics have become in their household.
Here’s the video of that podcast moment:
After the backlash, Kimmel eventually returned to the air. On his first night back, he said his comments had been taken the wrong way and that he never meant to joke about Charlie Kirk’s death. He said he posted a message of support to Kirk’s family when it happened and still stands by that.
So, what’s the truth?
Jimmy Kimmel’s show was taken off the air temporarily because he made a false and offensive comment about a serious tragedy. The networks didn’t want to air that kind of content during a tense time in politics. President Trump had nothing to do with the decision.
But in the Kimmel household, where politics and personal feelings are tightly woven together, it seems even their kids are being told that Trump is to blame — whether it’s true or not.
That’s the real story here. Not a White House plot to silence a comedian, but a family so caught up in political anger that even their children are dragged into it.
And that’s something worth thinking about.