Pressure Mounts on Disney as 400 Celebrities Sign Petition Supporting Jimmy Kimmel

More than 400 Hollywood stars have signed a petition supporting Jimmy Kimmel after the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The letter defends “free speech” following ABC bosses at Disney’s decision to take Kimmel’s show off air.

“We the people must never accept government threats to our freedom of speech,” reads an open letter released by the American Civil Liberties Union. “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.”

Celebrities including Jennifer Aniston, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Selena Gomez, Jason Bateman, Michael Keaton, Natalie Portman, Martin Short, Maya Rudolph, Pedro Pascal, Kerry Washington, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Regina King, and Diego Luna are listed among the petition’s signees. (See the full list below.)

Citing Kimmel’s suspension, the letter continues, “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.”

The petition concludes, “This is the moment to defend free speech across our nation. We encourage all Americans to join us, along with the ACLU, in the fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights.”

Disney indefinitely suspended Kimmel’s ABC late-night talk show on Wednesday, September 17, after Nexstar pulled the series from local affiliates in reaction to comments Kimmel made about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Disney / Randy Holmes

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said on the Tuesday, September 16 episode of his show.

Howard Stern criticized Disney’s decision on the Monday, September 22, episode of his SiriusXM show, noting how the move has been seen by many as the media giant acting in response to pressure by President Donald Trump‘s current administration.

“I just know when the government begins to interfere, when the government says,’ I’m not pleased with you, so we’re gonna orchestrate a way to silence you.’ It’s the wrong direction for our country,” Stern stated, per Deadline. “And I should know. I’ve been involved in something like this and now ABC is put in the same position and it’s unfortunate that ABC even has to be in this position. They shouldn’t have to be in this position. I feel for them too, in this. But that someone’s gotta step up and be f**king saying, ‘Hey, enough, we’re not gonna bow.'”

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Stern also noted that he has chosen to cancel his Disney+ subscription in protest. “I’m trying to say with the pocketbook that I do not support what they’re doing with Jimmy,” he said.

Scroll down for the complete list of celebrities who signed the American Civil Liberties Union’s open letter.

Aasif Mandvi

Abbi Jacobson

Abby McEnany

Adam Chanler-Berat

Adam Goldberg

Adam Horovitz

Adam Scott

Adina Porter

Adrienne Warren

A.J. Shively

Al Yankovic

Alan Cumming

Aldis Hodge

Alex Serino

Alfred Molina

Alia Shawkat

Alison Brie

Allana Harkin

Allie Re

Allison Tolman

Ally Sheedy

Alysia Reiner

Alyssa Milano

Amber Ruffin

Amber Sealey

Amber Tamblyn

America Ferrera

Amy Landecker

Ana Gasteyer

Andrea Savage

Angie Pontani

Anjali Bhimani

Ann Harada

Anna Baryshnikov

Anna Camp

Annabel Oakes

Annette Bening

Annette O’Toole

Annie Murphy

Anthony Anderson

Anthony Jeselnik

Aria Mia Loberti

Arian Moayed

Ariana DeBose

Arlen Escarpeta

Art Linson

Ashlie Atkinson

Ashly Burch

Atsuko Okatsuka

Auli’i Cravalho

Barry Levinson

Ben Platt

Ben Stiller

Benito Skinner

Betty Gilpin

Billy Crystal

Billy Eichner

Bitsie Tulloch

Bob Martin

Bonnie Milligan

Brad Hall

Bradley Bredeweg

Brandon Uranowitz

Bradley Whitford

Brian Newman

Brian Usifer

Briana Evigan

Bridget Everett

Bryan Cranston

Busy Philipps

Camryn Manheim

Carrie Coon

Carrie Preston

Cecily Strong

Celia Keenan-Bolger

Chazz Palminteri

Chelsea Handler

Chelsea Peretti

Cherry Jones

Chris Chalk

Chris Henry Coffey

Christian Borle

Christina Applegate

Christine Baranski

Christine Jones

Christine Lahti

Christine Taylor

Claire Danes

Corey Hawkins

Craig Johnson

Cyndi Lauper

Cynthia Nixon

Dallas Roberts

Dan Gilroy

Danny Burstein

Daphne Rubin-Vega

D’Arcy Carden

Dave Quay

Daveed Diggs

David Alan Basche

David Arquette

David Cross

David Giuntoli

David Harewood

David Rysdahl

Debbie Gibson

Debra Messing

Demián Bichir

Denis O’Hare

Desi Lydic

Diego Luna

Donna Murphy

Ebon Moss-Bachrach

Eden Espinosa

Edie Falco

Edwin Hodge

Eliot Glazer

Elizabeth Banks

Ellen Adair

Ellen Fairey

Emily Hampshire

Emily Spivey

Emily V. Gordon

Emma Geer

Eric Bogosian

Eric Christian Olsen

Eric Newman

Erik Christopher Peterson

Eunice Bae

Ever Carradine

Florence Pugh

Frances Fisher

Frances McDormand

Gabe Liedman

Gabriel Luna

George Takei

Gianmarco Soresi

Gideon Glick

Gina Gershon

Gloria Steinem

Griffin Dunne

Gus Halper

Hank Azaria

Hannah Bos

Harvey Keitel

Holly Robinson Peete

Ike Barinholtz

Ilana Glazer

Irwin Winkler

Isis King

J. Smith Cameron

Jack Gilpin

Jack Schlossberg

Jacqueline Toboni

Jaime King

James Monroe Iglehart

Jamie Lee Curtis

Jane Fonda

Jane Krakowski

Jane Rosenthal

Janet Hubert

Jason Alexander

Jason Bateman & Amanda Anka

Jason George

Jay Gonzalez

Jean Smart

Jeff Hiller

Jen Statsky

Jen Tullock

Jenn Lyon

Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Ehle

Jennifer Hale

Jennifer Mudge

Jenny Slate

Jeremy Pope

Jesse Peretz

Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Jessy Hodges

Jill Eikenberry

Jill Kargman

Jim Parsons

Jim True-Frost

Joaquin Phoenix

Jodi Balfour

Jodie Sweetin

Joe Keery

Joel Coen

Joel Kim Booster

John Cho

John Ellison Conlee

John Hamburg

Jon Cryer

Jon Huertas

Jonathan Groff

Jonathan Tropper

Jordan Gelber

Jordan Klepper

Jose Llana

Josh Hamilton

Josh Radnor

Josh Singer

Josh Zuckerman

Joshua Jackson

Judd Apatow

Judy Gold

Judy Kuhn

Julia Knitel

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julianne Nicholson

Julie Halston

June Squibb

Justin Theroux

Kate Hamill

Katherine LaNasa

Kathleen Chalfant

Kathleen Hanna

Kathryn Erbe

Kathryn Gallagher

Kathryn Grody

Kathryn Hahn

Katie Finneran

Katrina Bowden

Katy O’Brian

Keith Cotton

Keith Powell

Kelley Curran

Kelli O’Hara

Kellie Overbey

Kelly Carlin-McCall

Kelly Jenrette

Kenneth Lonergan

Kerry Washington

Kevin Bacon

Kevin Cahoon

Kirsten Dunst

Kristen Johnston

Kristin Davis

Kristine Nielsen

Kumail Nanjiani

Kyra Sedgwick

Lake Bell

LaToya Tonodeo

Laura Benanti

Laura Dave

Laura Linney

Lee Rose

Lena Dunham

Lennon Parham

Lesli Linka Glatter

Lewis Black

Lilah Richcreek Estrada

Lilly Wachowski

Linda Emond

Linda Powell

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lisa Guerrero

Lisa Kron

Lucy Freyer

Luis & Luz Miranda

Maddie Corman

Madeline Weinstein

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Maia Mitchell

Malachi Weir

Marc Kudisch

Marcia Cross

Maria Dizzia

Marin Ireland

Marjan Neshat

Mark Duplass

Mark Ruffalo

Martha Plimpton

Martin Short

Mary Beth Barone

Mary Catherine Garrison

Mary Elizabeth Ellis

Mary-Louise Parker

Matt Walsh

Maude Apatow

Max Silvestri

Maya Rudolph

Megan Byrne

Melissa Benoist

Melissa Fumero

Melissa Gilbert

Melissa Villaseñor

Meredith Salenger

Merrin Dungey

Meryl Streep

Michael Cerveris

Michael Ian Black

Michael Keaton

Michael Kosta

Michael McKean

Michael Nouri

Michael Shannon

Michael Sucsy

Michael Tucker

Michaela Watkins

Michelle Visage

Miriam Shor

Miriam Silverman

Misha Collins

Molly Bernard

Molly Gordon

Molly Ringwald

Murray Hill

Naomi Watts & Billy Crudup

Natalie Portman

Nathan Lane

Neal Brennan

Nia DaCosta

Nicole Brydon Bloom

Nicole Eggert

Nicole Maines

Nicolette Robinson

Nimesh Patel

Nnamdi Asomugha

Noah Galvin

Noah Wyle

Olivia Rodrigo

Olli Haaskivi

Orfeh

Padma Lakshmi

Paige Hurd

Pamela Adlon

Parker Posey

Patricia Clarkson

Patton Oswalt

Paul Feig

Paul McCrane

Paul Scheer

Paul Thureen

Paul W. Downs & Lucia Aniello

Pauline Chalamet

Pedro Pascal

Pete Holmes

Peter Friedman

Peter Gallagher

Piper Perabo

Punkie Johnson

Rachel Bloom

Rachel Dratch

Rachel Morrison

Rafael Casal

Rainn Wilson

Ramy Youssef

Raoul Peck

Regina Hall

Regina King

Retta

Richard Kind

Richard Schiff

Rick Barrio Dill

Rita Wilson

Rob Delaney

Rob Morrow

Robert DeNiro

Robert Horn

Roma Maffia

Ronny Chieng

Rooney Mara

Rosario Dawson

Rosemary Harris

Rosie O’Donnell

Roy Wood Jr.

Rufus Wainwright

Ruth Negga

Rutina Wesley

Sally Kohn

Sam Means

Sam Morril

Sam Pinkleton

Sam Richardson

Sandy Rustin

Sarah Adina Smith

Sarah Killough

Sarah Paulson

Sarah Ramos

Sarah Sophie Flicker

Sarah Steele

Sasheer Zamata

Scott Ellis

Scott Silver

Selena Gomez

Sharon Horgan

Sharon Stone

Shawn Hatosy

Sherri Saum

Sheryl Crow

Shoshana Bean

Skye P. Marshall

Sofia Black-D’Elia

Spencer Garrett

Stephen Kay

Stephen Spinella

T.R. Knight

Tala Ashe

Taylor Schilling

Taylor Tomlinson

Terry Kinney

Tessa Thompson

Tig Notaro

Tim Bagley

Tim Matheson

Timothy Olyphant

Tom Bergeron

Tom Hanks

Tom Morello

Tony Gilroy

Tony Goldwyn

Tonya Pinkins

Troian Bellisario

Tzi Ma

Uzo Aduba

Veanne Cox

Vince Nappo

W. Kamau Bell

Wallace Shawn

Warren Adams

Wil Wheaton

Will Harrison

Wilson Cruz

Yasmeen Fletcher

Yvette Nicole Brown

Zazie Beetz

Zoë Chao

Zoë Winters

Zooey Deschanel

Zosia Mamet

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