Jimmy Kimmel shares daughter Jane’s emotional decision after show’s brief suspension

Jimmy Kimmel has revealed a surprisingly emotional reaction from his daughter Jane after his late-night show was temporarily taken off the air last year.

The 12-year-old reportedly became upset when her father explained that Jimmy Kimmel Live! had been suspended in September 2025. According to Kimmel and his wife, Molly McNearney, Jane was particularly concerned because she had already decided that she would one day take over her father’s famous talk show. (EW.com⁠)

The revelation came during Kimmel and McNearney’s appearance on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast. Kimmel joked that Jane’s belief that she would inherit the show was never actually discussed with him or her mother.

“For whatever reason,” Kimmel explained, Jane had apparently decided that she would be the one to run the family business. He described the assumption as amusingly confident, considering she is only one of his four children. (EW.com⁠)

Her reaction became especially emotional when the show was suspended.

McNearney, who works as an executive producer and head writer on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, previously explained that the couple had to tell their children about the situation because the story had become impossible to hide. There were helicopters and significant activity around their home, while their children were also likely to hear about the controversy at school.

When Kimmel told the children that his show had been suspended, Jane reportedly burst into tears because she believed the program she planned to inherit was disappearing.

The suspension occurred after Kimmel made controversial comments following the September 2025 killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. ABC temporarily pulled the program from its schedule amid political pressure and controversy surrounding his remarks. The network later announced that the show would return, with Kimmel back on air on September 23. (Wikipedia⁠)

Jane’s response added a surprisingly personal dimension to an otherwise major political and media controversy. For her, the issue was not simply about television, politics or free speech. It was about the future she had apparently imagined for herself.

Kimmel has since continued hosting the long-running program, although he has also discussed the possibility of eventually stepping away from late-night television. His wife has expressed support for him taking a break or retiring when the time is right, while Kimmel has indicated that he does not expect to stop working completely. (EW.com⁠)

For now, however, Jane’s plans remain firmly in the realm of family jokes rather than an actual succession plan.

Still, her emotional response suggests just how closely she identifies with her father’s work. What began as a difficult moment for Kimmel ultimately revealed an unexpectedly sweet detail: his young daughter already appears to have her own ideas about carrying the family business into the future.