Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jonathan Groff Among Artists Signing Open Letter Defending Jimmy Kimmel After ABC Suspension

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jonathan Groff, Kelli O'Hara, Ben Platt, Ariana DeBose, and many more have signed an open letter in response to last week's suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel by ABC. The letter, published by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), has been signed by over 400 artists across Hollywood, Broadway, and the entertainment industry.

The letter states that efforts to pressure artists, journalists, and others with retaliation for their speech “strike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country.” It closes by calling on all Americans to fight to defend our right to speak freely. 

“We now find ourselves in a modern McCarthy era, facing exactly the type of heavy-handed government censorship our Constitution rightfully forbids. The silencing of Jimmy Kimmel and jawboning of media outlets through lawsuits and threats to their licenses evoke dark memories of the 1950s,” said Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, which organized the letter. “We must remember, however, that Senator McCarthy was ultimately disgraced and neutralized once Americans mobilized and stood up to him. We must do the same today because, together, our voices are louder and, together, we will fight to be heard.”

The letter goes to say that "our government has resorted to threatening the livelihoods of journalists, talk show hosts, artists, creatives, and entertainers across the board" which "runs counter to the values our nation was built upon, and our Constitution guarantees." 

Other notable signers include Donna Murphy, Jane Krakowski, Martin Short, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Olivia Rodrigo, and Eden Espinosa. The full letter and list of signatories are available here.

ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel after Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr threatened affiliate broadcast licenses if they did not “take action” against Kimmel for remarks he made about President Trump and Charlie Kirk.