Jennifer Aniston told Elle magazine as part of its Women in Hollywood cover series that it was “very dangerous” for ABC to cancel her show in September over her longtime friend Jimmy Kimmel’s comments about the shooting of Charlie Kirk.
“The unthinkable is happening,” Aniston said. “This is very dangerous and very unfortunate. But at the end of the day, we are the viewers. We subscribe to these networks and streaming services, so it’s the people and their voices that really matter. All these subscription cancellations spoke volumes.”
Aniston was referring to reports that Kimmel’s suspension led to a spike in Disney+ and Hulu subscription cancellations by consumers outraged by ABC’s decision. According to research firm Antenna, Disney+’s cancellation rate in the U.S. averaged 8% in September 2025, double the estimated 4% for the previous two months, while Hulu’s cancellation rate for the month was 10%, double the 5% rate for the previous two months. ”
In a September 15 monologue shortly after Kirk’s murder suspect was arrested, Kimmel quipped: “This weekend hit a new low as MAGA gangs tried to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as something other than themselves.” This line resulted in the suspension of the late night host. When she returned to the air on September 23, Kimmel became emotional and said she did not mean to “make light of the murder of a young man.”
ABC’s decision to suspend Kimmel did not sit well with many in Hollywood. Oscar Isaac recently made headlines when he said he was “not really open” to working with Disney (ABC’s parent company) on another “Star Wars” movie shortly after Kimmel’s suspension. “If they somehow figure it out and don’t succumb to fascism, that’s great…If that happens, then, yeah, I’d be happy to talk about a galaxy far, far away, or whatever.”
Meanwhile, Aniston had a message to send to Americans amidst the current political divide. “We all need to listen to both sides. That’s what we’ve lost. We’ve lost communication, we’ve lost the ability to sit across the table and learn from each other and have productive discussions. Everyone’s kind of stuck in their position, and it’s my way or the highway, and that’s not how the world works.”
Visit Elle’s website to read Aniston’s latest profile in full.
