Did Howard Stern's Fiery Protest 'Solve' the Jimmy Kimmel Issue? Whoopi Goldberg Leads 'The View' in Slamming ABC

Radio legend Howard Stern has jokingly taken credit for 'solving' the crisis surrounding Jimmy Kimmel's suspension, which saw the late-night host return to television this week. Stern's comments came as a chorus of high-profile voices, including the hosts of The View, slammed ABC and the US government over what they called a serious threat to free speech.

The popular programme was suspended on Wednesday after the TV host made statements regarding Charlie Kirk's death that were considered 'offensive.' Following nearly a week of rallies where Americans voiced apprehensions over freedom of speech, Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to television, despite Sinclair-owned stations declaring they would not restart broadcasting the programme.

Howard Stern Jokes He 'Solved' the Jimmy Kimmel Crisis

Prior to ABC's announcement, Howard, 71, discussed the suspension on his SiriusXM programme and told his audience of his decision to terminate his subscription to Disney+ as a form of protest. Howard claimed that ABC 'didn't want to fire' Jimmy but was 'forced by the United States government' to do so, which he characterised as a violation of free speech.

Shortly after The Howard Stern Show concluded, the company declared that Jimmy's programme would resume its regular schedule. On Tuesday, the broadcaster commenced his show by humorously asserting that he had 'resolved another issue', inquiring of co-host Robin Quivers, 'What should we fix today, Robin? Global warming? I'm on a roll.'

He subsequently disclosed that he had conversed with his friend Jimmy and was 'very happy that this thing was resolved'. Howard commended Disney for 'doing the right thing' in reinstating the show.

The Backlash That Brought Jimmy Kimmel Back to a Divided Network

To recall, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended after the host said 'many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk' and that 'the MAGA gang' was 'desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.'

The backlash to his remarks was immediate, with Nexstar and Sinclair, two of ABC's principal affiliate owners, announcing their intention to withdraw the show. On Monday, ABC announced the show's return in an official statement, saying: 'We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.'

Nonetheless, Sinclair said it would not transmit the show, opting to screen news programming instead. A representative for Turning Point USA, the organisation established by Kirk, commented on X about Kimmel's reinstatement, saying: 'Disney and ABC caving and allowing Kimmel back on the air is not surprising, but it's their mistake to make.'

'No One Silences Us': 'The View' Hosts Slam ABC Over Jimmy Kimmel

Aside from Stern, other prominent figures have also commented on Jimmy's reinstatement. The View hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Ana Navarro, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, and Alyssa Farah Griffin expressed their opinions over the suspension. Goldberg began by explaining the rationale behind their initial silence, stating that they 'took a breath to see if Jimmy was going to say anything about it' first.

Sharing a warning to ABC, Goldberg added: 'You know, no one silences us'. She continued: 'The government can not apply pressure to force someone to be silenced'. After the show presented excerpts of Ted Cruz and Rand Paul discussing the controversy, Goldberg conveyed a message to Donald Trump, saying: 'I don't understand how you are the man in charge of the nation and you still don't understand how the First Amendment works.'

Co-host Sunny Hostin concurred that Trump should comprehend the implications of freedom of speech, before Ana Navarro delivered a message to viewers. 'The part that I don't understand that is so ironic to me is how the horrible, senseless assassination of Charlie Kirk... who stood for freedom of speech, is being used to silence people and cancel people,' she said.

While Jimmy Kimmel is now back in his late-night seat, the firestorm ignited by his suspension continues to smoulder. The swift and fierce defence from showbiz heavyweights, including a protesting Howard Stern and a defiant Whoopi Goldberg, transformed the controversy from a network dispute into a high-stakes battle over free speech, proving that some of Hollywood's biggest names are not afraid to close ranks when they feel one of their own is under fire.