Jimmy Kimmel shared kind words for Charlie Kirk‘s widow, Erika Kirk (née Frantzve), during his return to Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Kimmel, 57, got emotional at several points throughout his first monologue back on the air on Tuesday, September 23, following his brief suspension from ABC. He addressed the controversial comments he made earlier this month about Tyler Robinson, Charlie’s accused killer, which caused him to be pulled from the air.
“It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” Kimmel insisted. “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it. I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed sending love to his family and asking for compassion, and I meant it. I still do. Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what is a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make.”
Toward the end of his lengthy monologue, Kimmel reacted to Erika’s tearful speech at her late husband’s memorial held on Sunday, September 21, in Arizona.
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“There was a moment over the weekend, a very beautiful moment, I don’t know if you saw this … Erika Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. She forgave him,” Kimmel said on Tuesday. “That is an example we should follow.”
He continued, “If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do, there it was. That’s it. A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply, and I hope it touches many. And if there’s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that.”
During her eulogy on Sunday, Erika shared a message for Robinson, 22, who turned himself in to authorities after being accused of shooting and killing Charlie at an Utah university on September 10. Charlie was 31.
“I forgive him because it is what Christ did,” Erika said. “The answer to hate is not hate.”
She urged attendees to follow her husband’s example, adding, “Please be a leader worth following. Your wife is not your servant. Your wife is not your employee. Your wife is not your slave. She is your helper. You are not rivals. You are one flesh, working together for the glory of God.”
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Kimmel, meanwhile, caused controversy for his own comments about Robinson which aired during the September 15 episode of his late night show. A spokesperson for ABC confirmed to Us Weekly two days later that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be “pre-empted indefinitely” in response to the host’s remarks.
Fellow late night hosts and Hollywood stars quickly rallied around Kimmel in the aftermath of his removal from the network. On Monday, September 22, the Walt Disney Company announced plans for Kimmel to return.
“Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” read a statement. “It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. 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.”
During his first monologue back, Kimmel gave a shout-out to his loyal viewers. “You supported our show cared enough to do something about it to make your voices heard so that mine could be heard and I will never forget it,” he said.
