Long before Jimmy Kimmel became one of the defining voices of late-night television, he found an unlikely creative partner in Adam Carolla. And during Carolla’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony on Wednesday, Kimmel made it clear that decades later, their friendship remains intact.
Speaking at the ceremony honoring his longtime friend and former The Man Show co-host, Kimmel delivered a heartfelt and funny tribute tracing their relationship all the way back to 1994. Kimmel recalled first meeting Carolla while working on the Los Angeles radio show Kevin and Bean. At the time, Carolla was working as a boxing instructor and had been brought in to help Kimmel train for an upcoming match. The first thing Carolla did, according to Kimmel, was roast him live on the air.
“As a result, I lost that fight, but I gained a life partner,” Kimmel said. “And if that sounds gay to you, it was and it is.”
The speech blended genuine affection with the same comedic style that made the pair stars during their years on The Man Show. Kimmel and Carolla pushed the envelope, but their chemistry helped turn them into two of the biggest personalities in comedy. Kimmel also praised Carolla as “one of the funniest people” he’s ever met.
But one of the more notable moments came when Kimmel openly acknowledged the political divide between them. “Adam and I, as you probably know, don’t agree much when it comes to politics, but I love him dearly,” Kimmel said. “I’ve never worked with anyone funnier.”
Carolla has expressed conservative political views that go against some of the more liberal perspectives shared by Kimmel. Of course, the late-night host's monologues frequently target conservative politicians and media figures.
Yet Carolla has repeatedly defended Kimmel during major controversies. Most recently, Carolla publicly backed Kimmel amid outrage over the host’s “expectant widow” joke about Melania Trump, arguing that it was a standard roast joke that only became controversial after political motivations entered the equation.
Carolla also backed Kimmel during his 2025 suspension tied to comments about Charlie Kirk, making clear that while he may disagree with Kimmel politically, he opposes efforts to punish comedians for jokes. The podcast host has had his fair share of controversies and backlash for questionalbe comments. And as an outspoken critic of "cancel culture," it's no suprise that Carolla quickly stood up for his friend while others wanted his job taken away.
For all the headlines surrounding Kimmel’s political battles lately, the ceremony offered a different side of the late-night host. It showed that despite what critics on both sides may assume, Kimmel doesn’t view every conservative as an enemy.
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