Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show was abruptly canceled Thursday night, leaving viewers stunned and without answers.
The episode, which was supposed to feature David Duchovny, Stranger Things actor Joe Keery, and singer Madison Beer, was scrapped at the last minute due to what outlets described as a “personal matter.”
No one at ABC has publicly addressed what happened. Instead, reruns quietly aired in its place, and fans were left speculating online.
The network replaced the canceled episode with an older broadcast from Oct. 28.
Singer Madison Beer was the first to break the news on social media.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, @jimmykimmellive needed to reschedule my performance that was originally scheduled to air tonight to a later date,” Beer wrote on X.
Her post immediately sparked confusion among fans, who wondered why the show had suddenly gone dark.
Deadline later confirmed that the cancellation was related to Kimmel himself, citing unnamed sources familiar with the situation.
The report aligned with a separate post from LateNighter claiming a “personal matter” was behind the last-minute decision.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! typically films Monday through Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Pacific and airs at 11:35 p.m. Eastern. Audience members who had tickets to the taping reportedly received an email from the show’s staff just hours before filming.
“Tonight’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live has been postponed. Apologies for any inconvenience,” the message said.
That short statement offered no explanation, leaving many to guess whether Kimmel’s absence was tied to controversy or family matters.
The show’s subreddit was quickly flooded with speculation after users posted screenshots of the audience email, per the Daily Mail.
Kimmel has had a rocky year on the air.
His show was temporarily pulled in September after he made controversial remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer.
During that episode, Kimmel accused “the MAGA gang” of “desperately trying to characterize” the suspect as “anything other than one of them.”
The backlash was swift. Days later, Federal Communications Commission boss Brendan Carr reportedly reprimanded Kimmel for his on-air remarks, and Disney suspended the show. Kimmel returned to television eight days later.
The comedian even joked recently about that suspension. During a podcast appearance with his wife, Molly McNearney, he said their young son asked whether President Donald Trump was responsible for his temporary removal from the air. “I think I said yes,” Kimmel admitted. McNearney added, “We both said yes at the same time.”
Kimmel has yet to make any public statement about this latest cancellation.
Around 10:30 a.m. Friday, he posted a brief clip from his podcast interview on Instagram but made no mention of the show’s sudden disappearance.
The timing of the latest cancellation raises questions, given Kimmel’s recent political activism. Over the summer, he attended anti-Trump protests and promoted them proudly online, despite growing backlash from conservative viewers.
Kimmel, who has hosted his ABC late-night show for more than two decades, rarely misses an episode. His absences have typically been tied to family events or medical issues.
In 2017, he took time off following the birth of his son, who underwent heart surgery as an infant. He also missed several shows earlier this year for the birth of his granddaughter.
