Former Tonight Show host Jay Leno has added his voice to those supporting Jimmy Kimmel following the latter’s indefinite suspension by ABC.
“I’m on Jimmy Kimmel’s side on that one,” Leno told reporters yesterday at the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony for Chris Wallace. “I’m a huge proponent of free speech. Please. I’m on Jimmy Kimmel’s side.”
Watch the Leno video on CBS News below.
Kimmel was suspended following comments he made about the Charlie Kirk shooting during his Jimmy Kimmel Live! monologue Monday.
Leno and Kimmel haven’t always seen eye to eye. In 2010, Kimmel was a guest on Leno’s Tonight and mocked the host for returning to Tonight after his replacement, Conan O’Brien, resigned. O’Brien had rejected a plan by NBC to move Tonight to 12:05 a.m. in order to make room for a new Leno show at 11:35 p.m.
During Kimmel’s 2010 appearance with Leno, he was asked about his best prank ever. Kimmel said, “I told a guy that five years from now I’m going to give you my show, and then when the five years came, I gave it to him, and then I took it back almost instantly.” Leno later said he felt humiliated by Kimmel’s jibe.
Yesterday, though, Leno was back on Team Kimmel. “You don’t get canceled saying popular things,” Leno said. “Usually, it’s the truth that winds up getting canceled, so we’ll see what happens.” He added, “Jimmy will land on his feet. He’s a talented guy. He’s funny.”
“I enjoy Jimmy,” he continued. “I like all the guys. I think they’re really talented. I like jokes. That’s why I watch them.”
Leno is just the latest late night (or former late night) host to voice support for Kimmel, following similar statements made by Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and David Letterman.
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