Jimmy Kimmel closed out 2025 with raw emotion, addressing viewers with visible tears as he reflected on what he called “maybe more than any year of my life.”
The ABC late-night host delivered an uncharacteristically vulnerable monologue Thursday, opening up about a tumultuous 12 months that tested both his career and personal resilience.
His voice cracked as he thanked fans for standing by him through an unprecedented series of challenges—from corporate suspension to presidential attacks to profound personal loss.
And his words struck a chord that went far beyond typical late-night comedy.
A Year Like No Other
Kimmel didn’t sugarcoat the gravity of what 2025 brought. “This has been a strange year. It’s been a hard year,” he told his audience during his final new show of the year.
“We’ve had some lows. We’ve had some highs. For me, maybe more than any year of my life.”
Behind that simple statement lay a cascade of professional and personal crises. Disney—ABC’s parent company—suspended Kimmel after intense pressure from local stations and direct criticism from the president himself. His wife and head writer, Molly McNearney, revealed at The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment brunch just how dire things felt at the time.
I watched a show, co-workers, friends and the man I love be put on ‘indefinite suspension’ after our thin-skinned president asked for his removal and his FCC chair publicly threatened the company we work for. It is a fragile time for freedom.
Both Kimmel and McNearney believed his career at ABC was effectively over. The uncertainty hung over their household like a storm cloud, compounded by grief over losing longtime bandleader and friend Cleto Escobedo.
Fans Pulled Him Through
What saved Kimmel wasn’t corporate backing or political maneuvering—it was viewer support. Fans rallied around the embattled host, flooding social media with messages and keeping ratings strong enough that ABC ultimately reversed course.
“On behalf of all of us at the show, I just want to say that we appreciate your support, your enthusiasm, and not just for watching this year, you literally pulled us out of a hole, and we cannot thank you enough,” Kimmel said, his gratitude palpable.
ABC eventually signed him to a new one-year deal extending through at least May 2027. But the scars from those dark months remain visible.
Wrestling With What America Has Become
Kimmel’s monologue took a philosophical turn as he grappled with broader questions about national identity and values. His childhood ideals—shaped by Superman comics and belief in “truth, justice and the American way”—now feel distant and uncertain.
You grew up reading Superman, and you learn to value truth, justice and the American way, and then you start to realize, especially over the last year, you don’t know where that all went. You don’t know what the American way even is anymore.
He acknowledged feeling overwhelmed by constant news cycles filled with “awful and destructive acts” and “damage we inflict on ourselves on purpose.” Trying to make sense of clearly wrong actions, he admitted, “can make you feel crazy.”
Comedy As Collective Therapy
Yet within that darkness, Kimmel found purpose. Viewer feedback revealed something powerful: his show—and those of fellow late-night hosts—serves as communal therapy during chaotic times.
When I hear from people who tell me that they watch our show and the shows that my friends and colleagues do on the other channels, and that it makes them feel less crazy. It makes me feel less crazy too, and I think that’s an important thing.
Late-night television has evolved beyond mere entertainment. For millions grappling with political turmoil and social upheaval, these programs provide validation—proof they’re not alone in their concerns or confusion.
A Message To The World
Kimmel used his platform to address international viewers watching through YouTube, Instagram, and Hulu. His message was both apologetic and hopeful, acknowledging American dysfunction while insisting on underlying goodness.
I also think it’s important that we as Americans let our friends in other countries who watch the show on YouTube, on Instagram, Hulu, wherever, know that a lot of us are not OK with what is happening.
He continued: “There is still much more good in this country than bad, and we hope that you will bear with us during this extended psychotic episode that we’re in the middle of.”
That phrase—“extended psychotic episode”—captured widespread sentiment among Americans struggling to reconcile current reality with their understanding of democratic norms.
Why This Matters Beyond Entertainment
Kimmel’s emotional farewell highlights several crucial developments:
- Corporate vulnerability to political pressure: Disney’s willingness to suspend Kimmel reveals how easily media companies buckle under government threats
- Audience power: Viewer loyalty proved more influential than executive decisions in determining Kimmel’s fate
- Mental health impact of political chaos: Kimmel openly discussed feeling “crazy” trying to process current events—a sentiment millions share
- Comedy’s evolving role: Late-night shows now serve as emotional lifelines rather than simple entertainment
McNearney’s public comments about living through her husband’s suspension shed light on the human cost of political interference in media. Watching someone you love face career destruction for doing their job leaves lasting trauma.
What Comes Next
Kimmel acknowledged his job isn’t easy, despite appearing glamorous from outside. “I know there are a lot harder jobs, but this is not an easy job to do, and sometimes it feels like we’re spinning our wheels,” he admitted.
Yet he’s committed to continuing through at least 2027. His contract extension represents both professional stability and personal determination—refusing to let political intimidation end his career.
Whether late-night comedy can truly counter widespread political dysfunction remains uncertain. But Kimmel’s tearful monologue demonstrated something equally important: public figures willing to be vulnerable and honest about struggling with national crises.
That authenticity might matter more than any joke.