Jimmy Fallon abruptly canceled his scheduled appearance at Fast Company’s Innovation Festival in New York City on Thursday, organizers confirmed.
Festival officials told Adweek that Fallon was slated to join a session titled “Staying On Brand” but pulled out at the last minute. The event went ahead with marketing executive Bozoma Saint John and Fast Company editor Jeff Beer.
The cancellation comes as the late-night television world reels from ABC’s indefinite suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after Kimmel made remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing.
Kimmel’s removal has sparked fierce debate, with critics accusing ABC and its parent company, Disney, of bowing to political pressure.
President Trump cheered the suspension, while Hollywood unions warned it set a dangerous precedent for free expression. Kimmel, 57, has not commented publicly, though sources told The Post he is “absolutely f–king livid.”
No reason was given for Fallon’s decision to skip the New York event.
The Post has sought comment from Fallon, NBC and Fast Company.
Disney-owned ABC on Wednesday pulled Kimmel’s late-night show off the air indefinitely after his remarks about Kirk’s assassination drew fire from affiliates, regulators and the White House.
Here’s the latest on Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension after Charlie Kirk comments
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- Stephen A. Smith admits Jimmy Kimmel getting pulled off air ‘didn’t appear to be the wisest move’
- Jimmy Kimmel smirks as he arrives at LA lawyer’s office after ABC pulled show over Charlie Kirk comments
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The network announced Wednesday that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would be suspended after Nexstar Communications, which operates 23 ABC affiliates, refused to carry the program.
Nexstar broadcasting president Andrew Alford called Kimmel’s comments “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.”
Kimmel had used his Monday and Tuesday monologues to criticize Republicans’ response to Kirk’s murder, suggesting that the suspect, Tyler Robinson, was a pro-Trump Republican.
“The MAGA Gang (is) desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” Kimmel told viewers Monday.
Stay up to date on the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk
- Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, elected chair and CEO of Turning Point USA
- Dozens of ABC stations to air Charlie Kirk tribute special at Jimmy Kimmel’s time slot after Disney indefinitely shelves show
- Vance describes ‘tough moment’ he broke news of Charlie Kirk’s assassination to Trump, Oval Office
- Alleged Charlie Kirk assassin negotiated ‘gentle’ surrender, was afraid of being shot: sheriff
The 22-year-old accused gunman grew up in a conservative Mormon household in Utah but turned sharply left in the last year, embracing pro-LGBTQ causes, investigators said. He told his transgender partner that he killed Kirk because he had “had enough of his hatred.”
Kimmel also mocked President Trump’s public response to the killing, saying, “This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
He later ridiculed Vice President JD Vance and FBI Director Kash Patel’s handling of the case.
The backlash was swift. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr blasted Kimmel’s comments as “truly sick” and warned Disney, ABC’s parent company, that the agency had grounds to hold it accountable for misinformation.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said on the Benny Johnson podcast.
Trump celebrated the suspension on Truth Social, writing: “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”
Trump widened his war on late-night television, calling Fallon and Seth Meyers “two total losers” after ABC suspended Kimmel’s show.
Trump posted on Truth Social that Kimmel had “ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even [Stephen] Colbert, if that’s possible.” He added, “That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC.”
Outside Kimmel’s Hollywood studio, would-be audience members waiting to enter Wednesday’s taping were told the show was canceled.
The suspension comes as Disney seeks FCC approval for ESPN’s acquisition of the NFL Network and Nexstar awaits Trump administration sign-off on its $6.2 billion takeover of Tegna.
Both companies now face political pressure tied to the case.
Trump, who has long sparred with late-night hosts, also cheered CBS’s decision earlier this year to cancel Colbert’s show, calling him talentless.
Colbert’s exit came weeks before the FCC approved Paramount’s merger with Skydance.
