If you’ve been on social media lately, you may have seen a widely shared series of posts claiming Jimmy Kimmel celebrated Roseanne Barr’s 2018 firing by saying “actions have consequences, and ABC made the right call.”
The line—attributed to Kimmel’s May 29, 2018 Jimmy Kimmel Live! monologue—surfaced as ABC’s suspension of Kimmel drew comparisons to Barr’s ouster, with critics using it to justify his own removal.
The only problem? Kimmel never said those words. Not in that broadcast—which can be viewed in its entirety online—or at any other point.
What Kimmel actually said was that night was that “ABC decided to cancel their highest-rated show, Roseanne, following a tweet in which Roseanne compared an African-American woman, a former advisor to President Obama, to an ape—which did not sit well with ABC management, or anyone with a brain, really.” He went on to joke about ABC’s weak lineup—“we’re hoping the NBA Finals goes eleven games this year”—then aired a parody promo for a Roseanne spinoff called Dan. He offered no direct judgment on Barr’s firing.
The next day, Kimmel urged compassion on Twitter, writing that “what [Roseanne] said is indefensible, but angrily attacking a woman who is obviously not well does no good for anyone” and adding that “the Roseanne I know could probably use some compassion and help right now.”
The fabricated quote spread alongside AI deepfakes of Kimmel and sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez, fueling disinformation around his recent suspension. But the comparison itself is misleading: Barr’s firing came directly from ABC over her own words, while Kimmel’s removal followed FCC pressure on affiliates—a move that has raised alarms about government interference and free speech.
Kimmel is expected to address the controversy when Jimmy Kimmel Live! returns September 23.
