Since Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended by ABC on Sept. 17, the network hasn't shared what's next for the long-running late-night talk show, and the unfortunately ousted host hasn't spoken out about the developing situation. Rumors and speculation have run rampant as a number of friends and colleagues haven spoken out in support of Kimmel, including his cousin Sal Iacono.
Known for his work with Kimmel on The Man Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live! most recently, Cousin Sal appeared on The Bill Simmons Podcast on Sunday, Sept 21 wearing a Jimmy Kimmel hate and spoke about the suspension of the late-night show. While he didn't (and couldn't) say too much about what's unfolding behind the scenes, also out of the respect for the hundreds of staffers, he hinted that big news could arrive this week.
There haven't been any public announcements about the future of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, but certain insiders have hinted that this could be end of the road for the show if the two sides can't come to an agreement on how to move forwards. Cousin Sal gave no indication either way, only teasing that while he knows more than he can reveal, "bombshells" could still drop very soon.
"I wish I could say anything. There are a couple bombshells still there,” he shared with Simmons, who also previously worked on Kimmel's show. "I’m feeling good. We’re going to be all right. Everything’s going to be just fine... That’s all I have to say right now. I can’t really say anything. You and I know too much. It’s very emotional."
It's unclear exactly when these "bombshells" will arrive and from whom, but they're almost certainly going to send more shockwaves through the industry as the conversation about free speech continues to gain momentum. Sal's remark about everything ending up "just fine" comes with the connotation that the show could be coming to an end, but again, he didn't share anything official.
Instead, Cousin Sal offered an anecdote about the family coming together following the events of the past week and his teenage son breaking the ice by talking about the suspension. Sal's son told Kimmel that peers at his school believe what happened to him wasn't right, and Kimmel took it all in stride and even made a joke at his own expense to further make light of the circumstance.
In addition to his cousin, Kimmel has had a constant stream of support thrown behind him, especially including Stephen Colbert, who just won an Emmy Award in spite of his show being canceled by CBS. On Sept. 22, over 400 celebrities and the ACLU signed an open letter in protest of Disney's decision to pull Kimmel off the air and in defense of the First Amendment.
The View panelists also broke their silence on the matter after days of keeping mum on the subject, which many believed was due to Disney and ABC instructing the daytime hosts to not share their thoughts. If Cousin Sal's latest comments are any indication, we should batten down the hatches for more developments to be announced in the ongoing saga between Kimmel and Disney.
Stay tuned to Last Night On for all of the latest breaking late-night news and updates!