"Disney asked me to read this": Viral Jimmy Kimmel monologue attracts over 14 million views across multiple social platforms

Jimmy Kimmel returned with his late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, after being temporarily taken off air the previous week. The episode drew significant attention, with his 28-minute comeback monologue quickly becoming "Jimmy Kimmel Live!'s" most-viewed YouTube video of the year, amassing over 13 million views within a day. It also went viral over social media, gathering over 14 million views across platforms.

In his opening monologue, the host called out Disney, the parent company of the ABC network, which carries his program. 

“A lot of people have been asking me if there are conditions for my return to the air, and there is one,” he said. “Disney has asked me to read the following statement, and I’ve agreed to do it. Here we go: To reactivate your Disney+ and Hulu account, open the Disney+ app on your smart TV or TV-connected device.”

The jibe drew a massive applause from the studio audience, who appreciated the cheeky nod at Disney bleeding subscribers following Kimmel's temporary removal. 

Following the joke, Jimmy observed on a serious note that he was fortunate to get the platform to share his views over the last 23 years. He noted that ABC had defended him at times even when they were uncomfortable with his stance.

“Every night, they’ve defended my right to poke fun at our leaders and to advocate for subjects that I think are important by allowing me to use their platform. And I am very grateful for that,” he said. “With that said, I was not happy when they pulled me off the air on Wednesday.”

Jimmy also spoke his mind on Disney and President Donald Trump, noting:

“(Disney) is a giant company. We have short attention spans, and I am a tiny part of the Disney corporation. They welcomed me back on the air, and I thank them for that because I know that, unfortunately, and I think unjustly, this puts them at risk… Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke… We have to speak out against this because he’s not stopping.”

Why was Jimmy Kimmel taken off the air?

Kimmel: "Disney has asked me to read the following statement and I agreed to do it. 'To reactivate your Disney+ and Hulu account ... '" pic.twitter.com/sr2ATVSpIR

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 24, 2025

In the aftermath of the death of far-right MAGA activist Charlie Kirk, Jimmy Kimmel spoke out about the ensuing investigation during his monologue on the September 15 episode. His comment about MAGA being desperate to prove that the suspect is not one of them drew backlash from the group, with FCC chair Brendan Carr calling upon ABC to take action against Kimmel while appearing on a podcast interview. 

Hours later, Jimmy Kimmel Live was indefinitely suspended from the air, triggering outrage all over the country and causing fans to cancel their Disney+ subscriptions in bulk. The call to boycott the streaming platform received celebrity support, including that of Tatiana Maslany, star of the Marvel Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. She told her followers on Instagram to cancel their subscription to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN. Transparent star Amy Landecker also went on Instagram to share that she has already terminated her Disney+ membership.

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