Following ABC pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! from the airwaves, an uproar has ensued, with many criticizing the decision as a violation of free speech. Now, the American Civil Liberties Union has penned a letter to that effect, and expressing support for Kimmel. Over 400 artists across stage and screen have signed in support, among them Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Kelli O'Hara, Daveed Diggs, Jonathan Groff, Nathan Lane, and many more. The letter and list of signatories can be found here.

Said the ACLU letter: "Last week, Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air after the government threatened a private company with retaliation, marking a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation."

The letter continued: "Regardless of our political affiliation, or whether we engage in politics or not, we all love our country. We also share the belief that our voices should never be silenced by those in power—because if it happens to one of us, it happens to all of us.

"This is the moment to defend free speech across our nation. We encourage all Americans to join us, along with the ACLU, in the fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights."

On September 15, Kimmel criticized Republicans on his late night show for politicizing the murder of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk. Following, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said that he would take action against ABC and its affiliates for Kimmel's remarks, including fining the company or taking away its license to broadcast. Disney, who owns ABC (which airs Kimmel's show), then made the decision to pull Kimmel off the air and said they were suspending his show “indefinitely.” President Trump has celebrated the move, saying that Carr and the FCC should revoke the broadcasting license of networks that criticize him.

Following the outcry, and a mass attempt to cancel Disney+ subscriptions, Disney announced today that Kimmel would return to the air September 23. In a statement, the Walt Disney Company said: “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”