Julia Louis-Dreyfus made a special appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and showed up with an unexpected companion: a cute little puppy!
She shared, “I figured with everything that’s gone down this past week, being around a puppy might be just what you need right now,” referencing Kimmel’s temporary suspension from ABC due to pressure from the FCC about his comments on the situation involving Charlie Kirk.
The beloved star of shows like “Veep” and “Seinfeld” presented Kimmel with the puppy, whom she named Ethel, saying, “She was particularly eager to come because she’s a massive supporter of the First Amendment!”
Many saw Kimmel’s suspension as Disney-owned ABC giving in to Donald Trump’s demands. Trump has long criticized late-night talk shows that take jabs at him. After the FCC chair suggested on a podcast that broadcasters who don’t prioritize the public interest might face repercussions, companies like Nexstar and Sinclair decided to pull “Jimmy Kimmel Live” from their airwaves due to his statements about Kirk. Just like that, ABC decided to bench Kimmel for nearly a week.
Kimmel made his comeback on Tuesday with a heartfelt monologue that underscored the significance of free speech and paid tribute to Erika Kirk, whose words at her husband’s memorial “really touched [Kimmel] deeply.”
Despite not being aired in 60 American cities, Kimmel’s return drew an impressive 6.3 million viewers, marking the highest viewership for a regular episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (excluding special Sunday shows). This was a staggering 343% jump from the average of 1.4 million viewers prior to his suspension. Plus, Kimmel’s Tuesday night monologue has racked up over 21 million views on YouTube!
In his Thursday night monologue, Kimmel even took a moment to thank Trump for the ratings boost, saying, “We couldn’t have done it without you, Mr. President!”
