Stephen Colbert took the day to gather his thoughts before publicly addressing the Jimmy Kimmel controversy during the Thursday episode of Late Night With Stephen Colbert.
The talk show host slammed the “blatant censorship” surrounding ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! according to People.
“Tonight we are all Jimmy Kimmel,” Colbert said. “With an autocrat, you cannot give an inch. Jimmy, I stand with you and your staff 100 percent.”
He continued, “You know what my values are, buster? Freedom of speech.”
“People across the country are shocked about this blatant assault on free speech,” Colbert said. “Also you couldn’t let me enjoy this for one week?” he joked, holding up the Emmy he won over the weekend.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! was yanked off the air on Wednesday after ABC received pressure from station owners due to language used by Kimmel during the Monday night episode which they deemed to be controversial.
Colbert learned of ABC’s decision while filming Wednesday’s episode. He was said to have been “visibly shaken” by the news, needing to excuse himself from filming to gather more information backstage, according to Late Nighter.
While Kimmel has yet to release a statement, he was a vocal supporter of Colbert after CBS announced earlier this year that his late-night show would be canceled after wrapping its current season.
