The production of Jimmy Kimmel Live! faced an unexpected hurdle this week when ABC abruptly canceled the show’s planned Thursday episode featuring guests David Duchovny, Joe Keery, and musical guest Madison Beer. The show was replaced by a rerun, catching viewers and even the scheduled guests completely off guard.
The sudden programming change was made without any prior public announcement from ABC or the host himself, leading to immediate speculation. According to reports from Deadline, the cancellation was due to an undisclosed “personal matter” involving host Jimmy Kimmel.
Guest Madison Beer Confirms Rescheduling
The only immediate confirmation of the change came from one of the night’s scheduled guests, 26-year-old singer Madison Beer, who took to social media to inform her fans.
Madison Beer (on Instagram Stories): “Due to unforeseen circumstances, @jimmykimmellive needed to reschedule my performance that was originally scheduled to air tonight to a later date. I’ll share more details on timing when I can, I can’t wait for you all to see it.”
Audience members who had tickets for the live taping at the El Capitan Theatre were reportedly notified that the show was “postponed” and would receive tickets to a future taping.
Another Disruption After Recent Controversy
This unexpected halt follows closely on the heels of a temporary hiatus the show experienced in September. Production was paused after Kimmel’s remarks regarding the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk sparked widespread backlash, leading to a brief suspension by the Walt Disney Company.
Upon his return from that suspension, Kimmel clarified that his comments were intended to critique the political reaction surrounding the tragedy, not to trivialize Kirk’s death. He emphasized that he extended sympathy to Kirk’s family, saying his original message “meant it and I still do.”
While the current cancellation is attributed to a personal matter and appears unrelated to political controversy, the incident once again underscores the challenges and sensitivity surrounding late-night production in a heightened media environment. Kimmel’s return to air is expected on Monday, though he has yet to publicly address the reason for his Thursday absence.