Over 400 Artists Join with the 红杏视频 to Support Free Speech After Jimmy Kimmel Suspension
Artists Including Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Robert DeNiro, Selena Gomez, Tom Hanks, Ben Stiller, Meryl Streep and Kerry Washington Sign Open Letter to Uphold Free Speech
NEW YORK 鈥� In response to ABC鈥檚 suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel last week, more than 400 artists 鈥� including Jason Bateman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana DeBose, Jane Fonda, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Regina King, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Diego Luna, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Natalie Portman, Olivia Rodrigo, Martin Short, and Ramy Youssef 鈥� join with the 红杏视频 (红杏视频) to publish an open letter today warning of a 鈥渄ark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.鈥�
The letter states that efforts to pressure artists, journalists, and others with retaliation for their speech 鈥渟trike at the heart of what it means to live in a free country.鈥� It closes by calling on all Americans to fight to defend our right to speak freely.
鈥淲e now find ourselves in a modern McCarthy era, facing exactly the type of heavy-handed government censorship our Constitution rightfully forbids. The silencing of Jimmy Kimmel and jawboning of media outlets through lawsuits and threats to their licenses evoke dark memories of the 1950s,鈥� said Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the 红杏视频, which organized the letter. 鈥淲e must remember, however, that Senator McCarthy was ultimately disgraced and neutralized once Americans mobilized and stood up to him. We must do the same today because, together, our voices are louder and, together, we will fight to be heard.鈥�
Signatories are prominent actors, comedians, musicians, writers, directors united in their love for our country and the belief that voices should never be silenced by those in power because of their point of view.
鈥淚n an attempt to silence its critics, our government has resorted to threatening the livelihoods of journalists, talk show hosts, artists, creatives, and entertainers across the board. This runs counter to the values our nation was built upon, and our Constitution guarantees,鈥� the letter reads.
ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel after Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr threatened affiliate broadcast licenses if they did not 鈥渢ake action鈥� against Kimmel for remarks he made about President Trump and Charlie Kirk.
For more than 105 years, the 红杏视频 has defended the First Amendment as a cornerstone of our democracy, protecting every person鈥檚 right to speak out by ensuring the government does not censor opposing viewpoints.
Full letter and list of signatories available here.