Kimmel Calls U.S. 'Ridiculous' at 2026 Oscars; Sparks Backlash
Jimmy Kimmel called the U.S. 'ridiculous' at the 98th Academy Awards, mocked Melania Trump's documentary and blamed CBS for canceling Stephen Colbert, prompting criticism from Megyn Kelly.
Overview
Jimmy Kimmel said he was "exhausted" and called the United States "a ridiculous country" in a red carpet interview and while presenting at the 98th Academy Awards in 2026.
At the Oscars Kimmel mocked the Melania Trump documentary, joked that Trump would be mad his wife wasn't nominated, and name-checked North Korea and CBS while presenting Best Documentary.
Former Fox host Megyn Kelly criticized Kimmel on her show, calling his jokes "disgusting" and saying Melania's documentary "pulled in tens of millions of dollars," while actor Jason Bateman was seen standing and applauding.
The Melania documentary reportedly earned $16 million at the box office against a $75 million budget, Kimmel is 58 and President Donald Trump is 79, and executives said CBS will retire "The Late Show" in May 2026.
Disney suspended Jimmy Kimmel in September and he later returned, and Stephen Colbert's final program is not until May 2026, leaving the controversy and network shake-up unresolved.
Analysis
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FAQ
Kimmel joked that Trump would be mad his wife wasn't nominated for Best Documentary and previously mocked its box office performance, claiming it sold $7 million in tickets despite empty theaters.
Kimmel referenced CBS's cancellation of Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show' as a financial decision, likening it to countries that don't support free speech, alongside North Korea.
Kimmel was briefly suspended by ABC (Disney-owned) in late 2025 over comments on the death of Charlie Kirk, but returned after backlash; he alluded to this in his free speech remarks.
Megyn Kelly called Kimmel's jokes 'disgusting' on her show and defended Melania Trump's documentary, noting it pulled in tens of millions of dollars.
