Jimmy Kimmel Live! ratings are through the roof following his temporary suspension at ABC, with the latest episode featuring Ethan Hawke ‘interrupting’ the host’s monologue in a now-viral clip.
If you’ve been off-grid the past week, here’s the lowdown: on last Monday’s (September 15) episode, Kimmel slammed Donald Trump’s response to Charlie Kirk’s death, which drew criticism from FCC chairman Brendan Carr.
Hours later, ABC affiliate holders Nexstar and Sinclair announced they were preempting the chat show, with Disney-owned ABC following suit. The response was loud, with netizens threatening to boycott Disney and 400 celebrities signing an open letter in defense of free speech.
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Following successful negotiations, ABC put Jimmy Kimmel Live! back on the air on Tuesday (aside from its affiliate stations owned by Sinclair and Nexstar, which maintain the ban). Another episode aired last night (September 24), and it was another big hitter.
Ethan Hawke crashes Jimmy Kimmel Live! monologue
Ethan Hawke – a guest on the show – crashes Kimmel’s monologue for a skit about the fact that he didn’t sign the American Civil Liberties Union letter condemning the show’s suspension.
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The bit unfolds as Kimmel thanks the signatories, which includes Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks, and Meryl Streep. “I also want to thank the more than 400 entertainers, actors, writers, directors, producers who all signed a letter from the ACLU in support of our show,” he says.
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Hawke then appears on the stage, saying, “I know I’m not supposed to be out here yet. I heard you talking about the letter of endorsement. I want to let you know right here, man-to-man, face-to-face, what an honor it was to sign this letter.”
The pair shake hands, with Hawke earning cheers and applause from the crowd. The laughs come in when Kimmel checks the letter, only to discover Hawke isn’t on the list.
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In reality, Hawke’s name doesn’t appear on the ACLU letter, and while no explanation has been given as to why, it may simply be that he wasn’t approached to sign, or that his name was missed in the reporting of the 400-plus signatories.
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Either way, the show played into the omission with this gag. “I think I signed it twice, man… Dude, I signed it. I know I signed it,” adds Hawke, who then distracts Kimmel and uses a pen to sign the letter while he’s not looking.
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The Black Phone actor then quips that he would have signed it, but it “looked like you were kind of done, you know, and I’m not the type of guy who’s going to bet on a three-legged horse with broken ankles.”
Earlier on in the monologue, Kimmel examines Trump’s reaction to his show being back on the air. The POTUS wrote on Truth Social earlier this week, “I think we’re going to test ABC out on this.”
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“Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 million dollars,” he added. “This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers.”
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Kimmel responds to this, “Only Donald Trump would try to prove he wasn’t threatening ABC by threatening ABC.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live! has record ratings
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The monologue was uploaded to YouTube under the title ‘Trump Threatens Jimmy Kimmel & ABC, Escalator Fiasco at the UN & Ethan Hawke Interrupts for Support’, and it’s since gone viral.
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In the past six hours, it’s been viewed more than 2.3 million times, part of the reason being that it allows viewers overseas and in blackout states to watch it.
Although Jimmy Kimmel Live! is on ABC and is available for streaming on Hulu, the 70 ABC affiliate stations owned by Sinclair and Nexstar did not air the show and are maintaining their ban.
That means last night’s episode didn’t broadcast in 20% of US households, something Kimmel addressed in his first monologue back.
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The controversy that unfolded has driven ratings up, with one writing, “I am not American, I have never watched Jimmy Kimmel except a few clips here and there about celebrities I liked. But I will watch this every day from now on out of spite.”
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“Watching from Hong Kong. I used to admire USA’s democracy. What happened in the previous eight months is a nightmare,” said another, while a third added, “Thank you for airing this on YouTube for those of us who live in Sinclair’s and Nexstar’s censored areas.”
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Despite its limited broadcast, Jimmy Kimmel Live! has recorded its highest US linear TV ratings in more than a decade, with Nielsen revealing 6.26 million people tuned in on Tuesday evening – a stark contrast to its 1.42 million average between 2024 and 2025.
Kimmel’s emotional 28-minute monologue has also been viewed more than 19.4 million times on YouTube since being uploaded yesterday, which again is huge compared to his 240,000 views average.
You can also read about if Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? has been canceled by ABC and if Disney is losing money over the controversy.
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