AFM and Hollywood Labor Stand Up for Free Speech

September 30, 2025

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Condemning ‘State Censorship’ After Jimmy Kimmel Live! Suspension

Last month, Jimmy Kimmel Live! resumed broadcast after a controversial suspension by ABC. The network pulled the show when remarks Kimmel made about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk were deemed inappropriate. The suspension sparked widespread backlash—from entertainment unions and political leaders to constitutional scholars and the public—culminating in rallies and boycotts targeting Disney/ABC as well as broadcast partners Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group (see article on page 7).

AFM International President Tino Gagliardi issued a statement in strong support of free speech and free artistic expression, emphasizing that the stunning move was a chilling act of “state censorship.” While condemning the FCC and corporate leaders, he noted that among the many hardworking employees impacted are the house band musicians, Cleto and the Cletones, of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA).

“This is not complicated,” Gagliardi says, “Trump’s FCC identified speech it did not like and threatened ABC with extreme reprisals. This is state censorship. It’s now happening in the United States of America, not some far-off country. It’s happening right here and right now.”

Gagliardi, who appeared on CNN, adds it was “government overreach.” “This act by the Trump Administration represents a direct attack on free speech and artistic expression. These are fundamental rights that we must protect in a free society.”

Local 47 President Stephanie O’Keefe, along with other Hollywood union leaders and other political leaders, spoke at a rally led by Representative Laura Friedman (D-CA) outside the Kimmel studios to defend free speech and the First Amendment. O’Keefe emphasized the need for artists and media workers to be able to express themselves without fear of political retaliation that could jeopardize their jobs and livelihoods.

The Hollywood labor unions—AFM, SAG-AFTRA, DGA, and IATSE—issued a joint statement condemning the removal of Jimmy Kimmel Live! under government pressure. The statement called the suspension part of a disturbing trend of increasing interference in creative expression that chills free speech, threatens the livelihoods of thousands of working Americans, and strikes at the heart of First Amendment rights. The statement asserted that when networks capitulate to government intimidation, it jeopardizes the careers of all production workers, creating unnecessary job losses and compounding struggles for an industry already dealing with globalization and contraction, and urged media companies to defend their workers and stand firm against political appeasement.

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