Hundreds of celebrities, including Jennifer Aniston and Tom Hanks, defended Jimmy Kimmel in an open letter published on Monday. The letter, published by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), highlighted the constitutional right to free speech. Jimmy is set to return to TV on Tuesday night following network negotiations.
The celebrities warned of a “dark moment for freedom of speech”
Celebs including Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep, and Ben Affleck signed the letter in support of Jimmy following his “indefinite” suspension.
The ACLU’s open letter states that “We the people must never accept government threats to our freedom of speech. Efforts by leaders to pressure artists, journalists, and companies with retaliation for their speech strike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country.”
The letter continues: “Last week, Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air after the government threatened a private company with retaliation, marking a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation. In an attempt to silence its critics, our government has resorted to threatening the livelihoods of journalists, talk show hosts, artists, creatives, and entertainers across the board. This runs counter to the values our nation was built upon, and our Constitution guarantees.”
Hundreds of very recognizable names signed the letter, including Robert De Niro, Pedro Pascal, Selena Gomez, Jason Bateman, Ben Stiller, Olivia Rodrigo, Diego Luna, Martin Short, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Natalie Portman, and Mark Ruffalo.
A number of celebrities had also taken to social media to express their frustration at the suspension.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! has since been given the green light to return to the air. A statement issued by Disney on Monday read: “We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy. After those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
TELL US – IS THIS THE END OF THIS CRAZY SAGA?
