Jimmy Kimmel’s Cousin Drop Shocking ‘Hint’

Sal Iacono, Jimmy Kimmel’s cousin and longtime writer on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, says the late-night show may not return following its abrupt suspension last week — sparking even more questions about the future of one of TV’s biggest hosts.

Speaking on The Bill Simmons Podcast Sunday night, Iacono admitted he couldn’t reveal much but hinted at “bombshells” still to come. “I wish I could say anything,” he said. “I’m feeling good. We’re going to be all right. Everything’s going to be just fine.” Simmons agreed that Kimmel would bounce back regardless, even joking that he could become a barbecue chef in California’s South Bay.

The uncertainty comes after ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air indefinitely when the FCC and affiliate networks pushed back over Kimmel’s monologue about the MAGA movement’s reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Disney, ABC’s parent company, is still in discussions with Kimmel about the show’s fate, though staff will continue to be paid for now.

Iacono described the past week as “tumultuous” and revealed that the family gathered to support Kimmel, though most avoided the topic. He recalled a lighter moment when his teenage son tried to break the ice, and Kimmel jokingly told him to reassure classmates by saying, “My cousin Jimmy is an excellent dancer.”

While Iacono stopped short of spilling details, other talk-show hosts have come forward to slam Kimmel’s suspension and defend free speech.

Howard Stern said on his SiriusXM show that government interference was a dangerous precedent. “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,” he said, adding that he canceled Disney+ in protest.

John Oliver dedicated a major chunk of his HBO show to blasting Disney and urging executives to resist pressure from the FCC. “Kimmel didn’t denigrate Charlie Kirk or make light of his killing,” Oliver argued. “He was pointing out how the right seemed desperate to weaponize Kirk’s death — an argument that’s aged pretty well given what’s happened to him since.”

Bill Maher also weighed in, saying Kimmel had the right to be wrong in his commentary and recalling how his own show, Politically Incorrect, was canceled years ago for controversial remarks — only to be replaced by Jimmy Kimmel Live!

“Jimmy, I am with you,” Maher said. “And on the bright side, you don’t have to pretend anymore that you like Disneyland.”