Following the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! due to comments he made about Charlie Kirk, it has now emerged that Kimmel’s wife once served him a warning about his words last year

Jimmy Kimmel’s wife previously discouraged him from responding to criticism from Donald Trump(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel finds himself in hot water following controversial remarks about the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk – and this isn’t his first brush with controversy.

During the 2024 Academy Awards, host Jimmy Kimmel made a bold decision to read aloud a scathing post from Donald Trump, who had criticized both his hosting performance and the entire show.

His wife, Molly McNearney, 47, who serves as co-executive producer of the broadcast, had urged him to disregard Trump’s words and keep them off the air.

This comes as Trump and Kimmel continue to feud, with the president delivering a two-word blow to the talk show host after the news of his show’s suspension.

But looking back on the Academy Awards, Molly admitted she “wasn’t proud of her warning,” acknowledging she had misread the situation.

The incident occurred late during the ceremony, when a Truth Social post from Trump proclaimed, “Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars…

His opening was … disjointed, boring … MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”.

Trump criticized Kimmel’s performance as host at the 2024 Academy Awards(Image: Getty Images)

Producers, including his own spouse, attempted to discourage Kimmel, 57, from reading the message.

Molly revealed to Variety, “I said, ‘Please don’t read this.

I don’t want to give Trump airtime in the Oscars. This is the one time we don’t have to talk about him.”

Despite her concerns, the comedian remained determined to share the comment.

He declared, “Yes I am” when producers urged him not to deliver the line.

In his comeback, he landed the jab, “Isn’t it past your jail time?”

The show’s producers were reportedly uneasy, with side conversations, extensive planning, and concerns over taste.

Molly confessed that she thought the show was going well and didn’t want to risk ending it on a “sour note” or stir up more controversy.

She admitted that her instinct to shield the ceremony from political divisiveness was strong, but being married to the host can create tension.

Despite its controversy, Kimmel’s decision was widely applauded by many who felt it humorously pushed back against attacks.

Kimmel delivered an iconic comeback to Trump despite warnings from his wife(Image: Disney via Getty Images)

The audience reaction at the time was powerful, with many cheering when he read the post and delivered his comeback.

“I will tell you, I’m never going to win an argument in my household again!” Molly quipped.

The couple officially began dating around 2010, nearly eight years after Jimmy’s first marriage ended.

They got engaged in 2012 during a safari in South Africa’s Kruger National Park and tied the knot in 2013 in Ojai, California. They have two children together.

Recently, the host has been criticized for his controversial comments about the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.

The comedian’s long-standing TV talk show was cancelled by ABC after he recently insinuated that Tyler Robinson, the man accused of fatally shooting Kirk at a university in Utah, was associated with the Make America Great Again movement.