Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones sparked controversy on the Today show with their comments on Jimmy Kimmel’s TV return
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Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones sparked a debate on Wednesday after commenting on Jimmy Kimmel’s return to late-night TV, following his week-long suspension. The comedian’s hiatus came after he made comments on the death of Charlie Kirk, a conservative political podcaster who was shot and killed at a university speaking event in Utah on September 17. Jenna and Sheinelle sat down on Jenna & Friends to discuss Jimmy’s show, which aired on Tuesday and featured an almost 30-minute monologue touching on the importance of free speech.
“I thought that that was beautifully done,” Jenna declared to Sheinelle, who replied, “I think there were a lot of eyeballs on him last night, obviously, and a lot of people wondered, ‘Okay, what direction is he going to do?’ I mean, he’s not going to triple down on anything. And if anything, I think the theme to me is forgiveness.”
Jenna added that she hoped people would be able to discuss their differing opinions more freely in the future. “I long for a country where – and I feel like we can get back there – but where people that have different opinions sit at the same table and have conversations.” Her co-host concurred, reasoning that it was “healthy” to disagree with others on occasion.
“We can have a healthy debate. We don’t have to agree, you know what I mean? But we don’t have to come at each other’s throats. And I do think that right now it’s almost at a fever pitch,” she said. Jenna then reminisced on her own family’s history with the press. She is no stranger to the world of politics, being the daughter of former President George W. Bush and the granddaughter of former President George H. W. Bush.
“I will also say that Freedom of Speech, and when he said, ‘A show like this that can make jokes at people in power,’ that’s part of what our country is founded on,” the 43-year-old explained. “I remember reading stuff about [my grandfather] where I was like, ‘Oh gosh’, like as a little kid, and [thinking] ‘That hurts, and that’s not the man that I know,’ and that’s part of the job.”
She continued: “Dana Carvey played my grandpa [on SNL], and after he lost, my grandfather was devastated. He didn’t feel like he finished the job. He felt like he let down his staff…He had Dana come to the White House to make fun of him after he lost, so he could cheer up his staff who [were] disappointed upon the results.”
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Her father is former President George W. Bush
Jenna and Sheinelle’s segment was posted to Today‘s Instagram page, where fans rushed to the comment section to share their divided opinions on the topic. “Kimmel didn’t apologize…” said one commenter, while another added, “I have lost all respect for this show!…Very disappointing!” and a third said, “Really disappointing to hear Jenna feeling bad for Jimmy!” Others claimed that Jimmy’s apology was insincere, and criticized the duo for supporting him.
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The pair shared their support for Jimmy’s TV return
On the other side of the coin, some fans praised Jenna and Sheinelle for standing by his side. “Jimmy was Phenomenal!! So fun, so authentic, so loving. Thank you, ladies, for acknowledging him!!” wrote one, while another declared, “Nicely stated ladies. I love the thought of people with different beliefs sitting down at one table having a conversation. Not coming at one another.”
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Jimmy sparked backlash following his comments on Charlie Kirk’s death
Jimmy came under fire after he commented that the far-right were trying to pin the blame of Charlie Kirk’s death onto the political left, despite the alleged shooter being raised in a conservative family. “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” he said.
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The show returned to the silver screen on Tuesday night
Jimmy Kimmel Live! was taken off the air on September 17, before making its return on September 23 following an uproar from his peers and a boycott of Disney, the parent company of his network, ABC.
