Disney shareholders are demanding answers following the short-lived ousting of Jimmy Kimmel, and alleging that the late-night talk show host’s removal may have amounted to "capitulating to government pressure” — and is a potential violation of their shareholder rights.
The American Federation of Teachers sent a letter to Disney CEO Bob Iger on behalf of two shareholders dated Sept. 24, in which they demand answers about whether the company “was involved in any wrongdoing in relation to the Kimmel suspension," Variety reported.
Kimmel was suspended “indefinitely” last week after receiving scrutiny over a comment he made on the suspected killer of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk, comments that suggested the suspect was aligned with MAGA. The decision that was reportedly made by Iger and other top-Disney executives.
While Kimmel would go on to return to television within a week, the decision to suspend him in the first place has left some Disney shareholders demanding answers.
“There is a credible basis to suspect that the [Disney] Board and executives may have breached their fiduciary duties of loyalty, care, and good faith by placing improper political or affiliate considerations above the best interests of the Company and its stockholders,” the letter reads, according to the report.
“[We reserve the right to file a lawsuit] in the event that members of the Board or Disney executives did not properly discharge their fiduciary duties.”
In the letter, the group – on behalf of the shareholders – allege that Disney’s stock “suffered significant declines” as a result of Kimmel’s suspension, and point to comments from President Donald Trump as potential proof that the company caved to his administration.
“I think we’re going to test ABC on this,” Trump wrote in a social media post after Kimmel’s return to television, a comment highlighted in the letter. “Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars.”
While Kimmel has returned to television, about 23% of U.S. households with televisions were unable to watch, with around 70 ABC affiliates operated by Sinclair and Nexstar still refusing to air the program.
The ongoing blackout for Kimmell in some American households, alongside the precedent the suspension set, that demands accountability, argues Clayton Weimers, executive director of Reporters Without Borders USA, who also wrote a letter on behalf of shareholders.
“Despite Jimmy Kimmel’s return to late night, this affair is far from over,” Weimers said in a statement, as reported by Variety.
“The FCC continues to threaten media organizations over content it doesn’t like and, in the case of Kimmel, dozens of affiliates are still refusing to air his show. The public needs to know how government actions toward the media unfolded in this instance, so we can stop this reckless assault on the First Amendment from going any further.”