‘Lost’ Creator Criticizes Disney, Says He’ll Cut Ties Over Kimmel Controversy

Damon Lindelof, the acclaimed creator of Lost and Watchmen, has announced he will not work with Disney as long as Jimmy Kimmel Live! remains suspended. The show was pulled off the air by ABC on Wednesday after Nexstar, a major television station group, objected to Kimmel’s comments about the MAGA movement’s reaction to the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

According to Deadline, the decision to suspend Kimmel came from top Disney executives. In response, Lindelof expressed outrage on Instagram, saying he was “shocked, saddened, and infuriated” by the network’s decision. “If it isn’t [lifted], I can’t in good conscience work for the company that imposed it,” he wrote.

Lindelof, who has known Kimmel since 2004, defended the late-night host as “caring and empathic,” and “a true patriot,” according to Vulture. He also praised Kimmel’s wife and head writer, Molly, calling her “his better three quarters.” Anticipating backlash, he added: “If you’re about to fire up in my comments, just ask yourself if you know the difference between hate speech and a joke.”

Support for Kimmel has been widespread. Fellow hosts Jon Stewart and David Letterman, comedian Marc Maron, and major entertainment unions including the WGA and SAG-AFTRA have all spoken out. Activist group 50501 has joined calls for a boycott of Disney. However, Lindelof is the first major creator to publicly vow to cut professional ties if the suspension isn’t reversed.

The controversy began after Kimmel condemned those celebrating Kirk’s death during his Monday monologue, calling it a “senseless murder” and criticizing MAGA-aligned voices for trying to shift the narrative. “We hit some new lows over the weekend,” he said, “with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”

The suspect, Tyler Robinson, was later charged with Kirk’s murder. Prosecutors revealed Robinson’s mother told investigators her son had “started to lean more to the left” in the past year.

Kimmel’s remarks drew criticism from conservatives and federal regulators. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr told CNBC the comments were misleading and not a joke. “It appeared to directly mislead the American public about one of the most significant political assassinations we’ve seen in a long time,” Carr said. Just hours before the suspension, the FCC warned ABC and Disney of potential regulatory action.

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