Jimmy Kimmel Doesn’t Back Down in Funny, Emotional Return—Watch His Monologue

by

The show started with a video showing news reports about the return of *Jimmy Kimmel Live*. It finished with Kimmel and his sidekick, Guillermo, deciding to take off their silly monkey and banana costumes. After a lengthy standing ovation and the audience chanting “Jimmy!”, he began his monologue by referencing a classic moment from another late-night host. Kimmel joked, “Anyway, as I was saying before I was interrupted,” – a line famously used by Jack Paar when he returned to *The Tonight Show* in 1960.

When Jimmy Kimmel returned, he gave a long speech acknowledging those who had supported him. He thanked fellow talk show hosts from around the world, as well as his audience and even those who criticized him – including Senator Ted Cruz. Kimmel actually played a clip of Cruz defending the idea of free speech.

Jimmy Kimmel responded to criticism about a segment that some felt used the tragic death of a young man as a justification for the government’s actions against one of Donald Trump’s critics. Visibly upset, Kimmel explained he never meant to make light of the tragedy. He reiterated his earlier condolences to the Kirk family following the shooting, and later became emotional while sharing that Charlie Kirk’s wife, Erika, had expressed forgiveness towards her husband’s killer.

Let’s agree, just for one day, that shooting another person is a terrible tragedy. My family and I are sending our love to the Kirks and to everyone affected by this senseless gun violence – all the children, parents, and innocent people who have suffered.

— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel.com) 2025-09-10T21:10:34.037Z

He explained why his presence on the show is significant, even if he personally doesn’t feel it is. He stated that the show itself isn’t the important part, but rather the freedom to create such content in their country. He also criticized FCC chair Brendan Carr, calling out what he saw as Carr’s hypocrisy and the ridiculousness of the situation that caused Disney to briefly suspend him.

Jimmy Kimmel often focused his criticism on Donald Trump, but he always started by acknowledging him. He played a clip of Trump calling him untalented and claiming his show had low ratings. Kimmel then joked that Trump tried to ruin his career, but actually ended up bringing in millions of viewers. He quipped that Trump might now need to release the Epstein files to divert attention from this unexpected success.

During his show, Kimmel criticized Trump for seemingly enjoying the job losses of those who disagreed with him, suggesting it stemmed from an inability to handle criticism. He also condemned Trump for threatening to silence a comedian, labeling the behavior un-American. Kimmel then played an old clip of Trump admitting he’s always been sensitive to criticism.

The audience loved the monologue, giving multiple standing ovations throughout. Kimmel concluded by explaining Disney had asked him to share one message: instructions on how to renew your Disney+ subscription.

Following the commercial break, Robert De Niro made a hilarious appearance via video link. He played the role of the new, enigmatic chairman of the FCC, and jokingly referenced past work he did for Donald Trump in Atlantic City. Their conversation touched on strategies reminiscent of mob bosses and the idea of limiting free speech. De Niro’s character specifically mentioned that jokes about Trump, such as implying he was overweight and required two seats on Jeffrey Epstein’s plane, would now be restricted. He concluded with a controversial joke referencing autism and Tylenol.

Jimmy Kimmel poked fun at Donald Trump’s strange and lengthy rant against Tylenol, comparing getting medical advice from Trump and Robert Kennedy Jr. to listening to “a glazed ham with deep vein thrombosis.” He then showed a long clip of Trump repeatedly saying not to take Tylenol, which became both more humorous and more concerning as it played.

Things settled into a comfortable rhythm when guest Glen Powell and musician Sarah McLachlan appeared, though they ended up feeling secondary to the night’s overall humor, heart, and energy. The episode will likely be remembered more for Jimmy Kimmel’s decision to proceed with the show despite attempts to disrupt it.

Read More

2025-09-24 17:03