Sept. 22, 2025, Published 4:35 p.m. ET
A-listers and lawmakers spoke out in defense of Jimmy Kimmel after the late-night host was pulled off the air “indefinitely” following threats from FCC chair Brendan Carr to take action against Disney’s ABC if the comedian wasn’t punished over remarks he made about Charlie Kirk’s suspected shooter.
Strangely, there has been an unusual silence from Kimmel’s close friend Jennifer Aniston. Sources reveal that while the Morning Show star “desperately wants” to publicly support her friend, there is a specific reason she has been “silenced,” RadarOnline.com can disclose.
Aniston Signs Petition Defending Free Speech After Kimmel Pulled Off-Air
Jennifer Aniston’s name was among more than 400 artists who signed the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) petition warning of a “dark moment for freedom of speech” after Kimmel was taken off-air last week. The petition reads:
“We the people must never accept government threats to our freedom of speech. Efforts by leaders to pressure artists, journalists, and companies with retaliation for their speech strike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country.”
However, aside from lending her signature, the Friends star has remained surprisingly quiet regarding Kimmel’s suspension.
Representatives Advise Aniston to Stay Silent to Avoid Backlash
Insiders report that Aniston, who shares a close friendship with Kimmel and has even invited him to her Thanksgiving dinners, is “100 percent in his corner” but has been advised to keep quiet to avoid backlash.
A source explained, “Jen and Jimmy have been very close friends for years. She desperately wants to come out in support of him being pulled off the air over his comments because she’s one hundred percent in his corner.”
“However, her reps are advising her this is one time she should stay out of the conversation,” the source added. “Her representatives are strongly advising her to restrain herself about Kimmel publicly for fear of the backlash.”
The source noted it was a “very hard decision” for Aniston to take this advice because she’s “not a person who holds back” and “speaks her mind.”
Aniston and Kimmel’s Long-Standing Friendship
Aniston and Kimmel’s friendship goes back over a decade to 2012, when the late-night host and his wife, Molly McNearney—who previously served as a writer on his show—invited the sitcom star and her then-boyfriend Justin Theroux over for dinner.
McNearney later recalled, “At first I was a bit star-struck that Rachel Green was standing near my bananas. But my nerves faded as soon as she hugged me, pulled a lime off our tree for her vodka rocks, and dissected The Bachelor. She was immediately warm, like an old friend. She’s magnetic like that. No boundaries, no bull—- and a lot of laughing.”
The couples became so close that in 2015, when Aniston tied the knot with Theroux, Kimmel officiated the wedding. The couple divorced three years later in 2018.
Aniston ‘Concerned’ About Career Fallout
Despite their strong history, sources claim Aniston has remained silent because she is “concerned it could hurt her career.”
ABC Announces ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Will Return on September 23
On Monday, September 22, ABC announced that Kimmel’s suspension had been lifted and that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would return on Tuesday, September 23.
The network released a statement saying:
“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.”
