Jennifer Aniston will always be there for Jimmy Kimmel.
Less than a week after ABC announced its decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! after the late-night host’s comments on the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the Friends alum and hundreds of Hollywood celebs signed an open letter by the American Civil Liberties Union condemning the action.
“Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air after the government threatened a private company with retaliation,” the letter, posted to the ACLU website Sept. 22, read, “marking a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”
The ACLU also alleged that there were “efforts by leaders to pressure artists, journalists, and companies with retaliation,” which they noted strikes “at the heart of what it means to live in a free country.”
“Regardless of our political affiliation, or whether we engage in politics or not, we all love our country,” the letter continued. “We also share the belief that our voices should never be silenced by those in power—because if it happens to one of us, it happens to all of us.”
Joining Aniston in signing the open letter were a slew of stars like Selena Gomez, JaneFonda, TomHanks, OliviaRodrigo, MerylStreep, PedroPascal and Rosie O’Donnell, as well as Jason Bateman, who—like Aniston—shares a close friendship with Kimmel.
In fact, Aniston, 56, Kimmel, 57, and Bateman, 56, along with Kimmel’s wife Molly McNearney and Bateman’s wife Amanda Anka, have often spent many a summer vacation together.
Aniston even gave her longtime pal a special shoutout when celebrating the 20th anniversary of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2023.
“I would please like 20 more years,” she said during the celebratory episode, “because I don’t want you to ever leave my television set ‘cause you bring so much joy to myself and to the world.”
As for Jimmy, the TV personality has yet to publicly comment on his suspension, which was confirmed by an ABC spokesperson to NBC News on Sept. 17, noting that Jimmy Kimmel Live! “will be pre-empted indefinitely” after Kimmel’s Sept. 15 monologue, which included comments about Kirk’s suspected killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.
“The MAGA gang [is] desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” Kimmel said during the episode, “and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
The monologue sparked backlash from Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, who said in an interview Sept. 17 that it was “the sickest conduct possible” following the shooting and threatened to “take action” against ABC and its parent company Disney, noting that the FCC could revoke ABC affiliates’ licenses.
Shortly after, Nexstar Media Group Inc.—which owns more than 200 TV stations in the U.S.—announced that its ABC affiliates would stop airing Jimmy Kimmel Live!“for the foreseeable future” beginning with the Sept. 17 episode.
For more reactions to Kirk’s death, keep reading.
Donald Trump
After Charlie Kirk was shot dead at age 31 while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University Sept. 10, 2025, the POTUS confirmed the conservative activist’s death on Truth Social with a heartfelt tribute.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump wrote. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us.”
Kristin Chenoweth
“Such a sad, senseless, and disgusting act!” the Wicked actress wrote on her Instagram Story. “Wow…prayers for teh Kirk family and prayers for our nation.”
Dr. Phil
The TV personality reacted to news of Kirk’s death during the Sept. 10 episode of his show The Real Story.
“Charlie Kirk, husband, father, friend, American, has been assassinated,” Dr. Phil said during the episode. “His spirit, passion and message will live on. Prayers for his soul and his wife and children.”
Russell Brand
The comedian offered his condolences to the right-wing influencer’s wife Erika Frantzve Kirk and their two kids with a message on Instagram, writing, “He was a good, strange Christian man. Dear God please comfort his family.”
Barack Obama
On behalf of him and his wife Michelle Obama, the former president said that his heart went out to Kirk’s loved ones.
“We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy,” she wrote on X. “Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children.”
Kamala Harris
The former vice president shared that she and her husband Doug Emhoff were “deeply disturbed” by the fatal shooting of Kirk, who co-founded the conservative youth advocacy group Turning Point USA.
“Doug and I send our prayers to Charlie Kirk and his family,” Harris wrote on X. “Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.”
Candace Owens
The political commentator broke down in tears while sharing her memories with Kirk over the years, starting when she worked with him at Turning Point USA.
“There’s not a single person in the world that I would wish that on, and least of all someone with a heart like Charlie’s,” she shared in a YouTube video Sept. 11. “He loved his family. He loved his wife. He loved his country. And he didn’t deserve that ending.”
Owens continued, “We will carry the torch. I will never allow the memory of Charlie to be forgotten, obviously, because there is no Candace without Charlie. We came up in politics together. I don’t know what else to say other than I’m in a lot of pain right now.”
Chris Pratt
The Guardians of the Galaxy star had Kirk’s family in his heart after the tragic incident, writing on X, “Praying for Charlie Kirk right now, for his wife and young children, for our country. We need God’s grace. God help us.”
Donald Trump Jr.
The 47-year-old son of President Trump and his late ex Ivana Trump detailed his incredibly close bond with Kirk in a length tribute.
“Charlie wasn’t just a friend—he was like a little brother to me—and to millions of people around the world,” he explained on X. “He was a true inspiration.”
“We’ve lost a leader, a fighter, and a man whose character and conviction were rare. Too rare,” Trump Jr. added. “To think that his life was cut short by a brutal, heinous, evil act is beyond comprehension. It is horrible and it is heartbreaking.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger
In the wake of Kirk’s passing, the Terminator star offered his thoughts and prayers to the political speaker’s family.
“This is a horrible tragedy,” Schwarzenegger wrote on X. “May it also be a moment for everyone to rediscover their humanity.”
Rosie O’Donnell
Following Kirk’s passing, the former View host made it clear she condemned the act of violence.
Sharing a photo of Kirk speaking onstage before the attack, she wrote on Instagram, “No just no—do not become the murderer—this is wrong on every level.”
Bill Clinton
The 42nd president of the United States said that he was “saddened and angered” by Charlie’s murder.
“I hope we all go through some serious introspection and redouble our efforts to engage in debate passionately, yet peacefully,” Clinton wrote on X. “Hillary and I are keeping Erika, their two young children, and their family in our prayers.”
Savannah Chrisley
The reality TV star said that she was “numb” following the news that her longtime friend Kirk had passed away.
“I can’t believe I’m even writing these words,” she wrote on Instagram alongside a video reflecting on his legacy. “Charlie Kirk changed my life…he brought me into the Turning Point family this past year, and I was supposed to be standing next to him at every college this October. Instead, I sit here with a broken heart, devastated beyond words.”
Chrisley added, “Rest easy, my friend. Heaven has gained a warrior.”
Melania Trump
Following Kirk’s fatal shooting, the First Lady of the United States shared her heartbreak for his kids, writing on X that they will “be raised with stories instead of memories, photographs instead of laughter, and silence where their father’s voice should have echoed.”
Jared Kushner & Ivanka Trump
Ivanka retweeted a message from her husband, reading, “Charlie Kirk was a close friend and a special human being. He played a significant role in helping President Trumps’s 2016 campaign, building and fostering the MAGA movement.”
He added, “To me, Charlie represented the best of MAGA. Firm in his beliefs, compassionate, curious, and respectful. He had huge allotments of courage, charisma, and character. The world lost a powerful force today, way before his time.”
Tim Tebow
The former NFL player said he and wife Demi-Leigh Tebow are praying for his family and “everyone who loved him.”
I’m shocked and devastated to learn about the passing of Charlie Kirk,” he wrote on X. :Above all else, Charlie was a follower of Jesus, a husband, and a dad. He was a man of passion, courage, and devotion to making an eternal impact.”
James Woods
The actor spoke out on his connection to Kirk.
“I enjoyed dinners with Charlie, but worried for his safety,” he wrote on social media. “The left says they want ‘national conversations.’ Charlie Kirk actually did just that. In the lion’s den, no less, at left leaning venues, hoping facts and common sense would prevail.”
Joe Biden
Echoing his fellow leaders’ sentiments, the 82-year-old reiterated that there is “no place in our country for this kind of violence.”
“It must end now,” Biden wrote on X, adding that he and wife Jill Biden are “praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones.”
George W. Bush
After the tragedy, the former POTUS spoke out against the violent attack.
“It happened on a college campus, where the open exchange of opposing ideas should be sacrosanct,” Bush shared in a statement. “Violence and vitriol must be purged from the public square. Members of other political parties are not our enemies; they are our fellow citizens.”
He added, “May God bless Charlie Kirk and his family, and may God guide America toward civility.”
