Additional Coverage:
- High-profile attorney weighs in on Jimmy Kimmel controversy: Here’s the side he would rather defend (foxbusiness.com)
Defense Attorney Alan Jackson Sides with Networks in Kimmel Controversy
A prominent defense attorney has weighed in on the ongoing dispute surrounding “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, stating he would choose to represent ABC and Nexstar Media Group over late-night host Jimmy Kimmel if the situation ever escalated into a legal battle.
Alan Jackson, fresh off securing an acquittal for Karen Read in a high-profile murder trial, shared his perspective during an appearance on “Hot Mics with Billy Bush.” When asked who he would prefer to represent amidst the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” controversy, Jackson unequivocally chose the media companies.
“ABC and Nexstar, without a question,” Jackson stated. “I like taking on a challenge, and I love the idea of private companies doing what private companies are allowed to do.
You get to hire and fire people. That’s just the bottom line.”
The Walt Disney Company, ABC’s parent company, recently announced the return of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after a brief suspension. However, Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group have indicated they will continue to preempt the program on their local stations.
The initial indefinite suspension of the late-night show by ABC followed remarks made by Kimmel concerning Charlie Kirk’s passing and the Trump administration’s response.
During the interview, Bush questioned if the timing of the show’s suspension appeared “a little fishy,” but Jackson pushed back, asserting that ABC acted within its legal rights as a private entity.
“Are they a private company? Did they take offense to what he said?
Did they think that it fit the rubric of what their platform is and what it stands for? No, they didn’t,” Jackson argued.
“So they’re allowed to fire and hire who they want to. It’s still a free country.
It’s still a private organization.”
Jackson further elaborated on the distinction between free speech and employment consequences, adding, “Kimmel has a right to stand up and say what he wants to say. People say, ‘Well, this is an attack on free speech.’
Nobody’s putting Kimmel in jail. Nobody’s put handcuffs on Kimmel for what he’s said.
This isn’t some country where you can’t say what you want to say. He can say what wants to, but you got to pay the price… You got to pay the piper.”
The controversy has also drawn attention from investors. This week, several Walt Disney investors, including the American Federation of Teachers, U.S. labor federation AFL-CIO, and Reporters Without Borders, requested the media giant provide documents regarding its decision to suspend Kimmel’s show.
Jackson recently represented Karen Read, who was acquitted of second-degree murder in June in the 2022 death of Boston police officer John O’Keefe. She was, however, found guilty of driving under the influence, receiving a sentence of one year of probation and mandatory classes, a standard penalty for a first-time offense.