Jimmy Kimmel responds to Mike Lindell’s telethon invite
By Matt Moore
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is reaching out to Jimmy Kimmel once again. The embattled pillow salesman invited the late-night TV host to join his upcoming telethon, and Kimmel responded.
Lindell has faced a mountain of legal problems and financial trouble due in part to his ill-advised crusade to overturn the 2020 presidential election. He’s been sued multiple times and owes millions in legal fees. Lindell recently admitted he has no money left.
Now, Lindell’s solution is to host a telethon. The goal is to raise enough money for the MyPillow founder to hire new lawyers as he continues to face consequences for his efforts to subvert the election.
That’s where Jimmy Kimmel comes in. Lindell invited Kimmel to participate in the telethon, going so far as to offer to pick up the comedian in his private plane. Kimmel responded during his monologue on Wednesday night.
“Wait a minute,” Kimmel said in response. “You still have a plane? How is that possible? I love you Mike, but I’m sorry, I’m not going to be part of a telethon for anyone who has a plane. By plane, he means a Spirit Airlines flight out of Burbank, right?” Kimmel joked.
Kimmel isn’t confident that Lindell can get himself out of this jam, anyway. The monologue showcased how Lindell struggled to find bath towels on his own website. “The man who blew the lid off the crooked voting machines can’t find his own bath towels on his website,” Kimmel laughed.
Jimmy Kimmel and Mike Lindell’s history
It makes sense that Mike Lindell would reach out to Jimmy Kimmel to give the telethon some star-power. The two have along, odd history together.
Kimmel’s monologues relentlessly mocked Lindell following the 2020 election. Lindell’s rants against voting machine companies and support of conspiracy theories made him an easy target for Jimmy Kimmel Live! on an almost nightly basis.
The late-night TV show even brought in its own version of Lindell. Actor James Adomian did a flawless parody of the MyPillow guy that helped get the attention of the real Mike Lindell.
Things came to a head when the real Lindell appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as a guest. Kimmel received criticism for giving the election denier a platform. In the end, the odd couple ultimately concluded that they disagreed on reality.
Mike Lindell’s telethon will go on without Jimmy Kimmel. But it’s likely to provide the kind of material that will give Lindell the attention he craves from the late-night comedian.