Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s wife, television writer Molly McNearney, revealed on the “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast Thursday that her husband’s political battles—particularly his clash with President Donald Trump—have had profound personal consequences.

In a candid and emotional conversation, McNearney shared that she has lost relationships with several Trump-voting family members, describing the fracture as both heartbreaking and deeply personal.

“It hurts me so much because of the personal relationship I now have, where my husband is out there fighting this man, and to me, them voting for Trump is them not voting for my husband and me and our family,” she said. “And I unfortunately have kind of lost relationships with people in my family because of it.”

The timing of her comments follows closely behind the controversy over Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks regarding the assassination of Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk. The backlash led Disney to briefly suspend “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” before allowing the host to return to air a week later. Kimmel had slammed Trump’s response to the shooting, which ignited further partisan furor.

For McNearney, however, the issue runs deeper than any one news cycle. She told podcast hosts that, for her, politics have ceased to be a matter of party alignment.

“Politics to me now isn’t Republican versus Democrat,” she said. “It’s about family values.”

Reflecting on her upbringing in St. Louis, McNearney explained that she once voted Republican down ballot but changed course after moving away and meeting people from different walks of life. Today, she said, she feels like she’s in “constant conflict.”

“I grew up believing in these Christian ideals of taking care of the sick and the poor, and I don’t see that happening with this Republican Party. And so it’s — I feel like I’m kind of in constant conflict, and I’m angry all the time, which isn’t healthy at all,” she admitted.

One of the most striking parts of the interview came when she described how news headlines trigger emotional reactions toward family members.

“I, like, personalize everything now. When I see these terrible stories every day, I’m immediately mad at certain aunts, uncles, cousins who put [Trump] in power,” she said.

McNearney also revealed that, ahead of the 2024 election, she had reached out to relatives in a last-ditch effort to change their minds.

“I’ve sent many emails to family, like right before the election, saying, ‘I’m begging you. Here’s the 10 reasons not to vote for this guy. Please don’t.’ And I either got ignored by 90% of them or got truly insane responses from a few. It’s definitely caused a strain.”

While she’s lost connection with some, McNearney said she has grown closer to family members who share her values:

“I’ve definitely pulled in closer with the family that I feel more aligned with. And I hate that this has happened. … It feels silly,” she said. “You know, part of me goes, ‘Don’t let politics get in the way,’ but to me, this isn’t politics. It’s truly values. And we just were not aligned anymore.”

Despite the strain, McNearney expressed some empathy for those who still hold opposing views:

“There’s like a little bit of sympathy I have for people in my family that I feel are kind of being deliberately misinformed every day,” she said. “And they believe it.”

Her remarks highlight the increasing emotional toll that modern political divisions can take on families, especially those in the public eye. As McNearney and Kimmel navigate the spotlight, they also face the private pain of fractured relationships—a reality that many Americans may find all too familiar.

Her final reflection underscored that pain:

“I wish I could deprogram myself. It would make it easier. But I can’t.”