Kimmel regrets – Jimmy Kimmel says he never should have apologized for a 2013 “Kids’ Table” sketch about China—an apology that followed a backlash including a White House petition and protests outside his Hollywood studio. Now, Kimmel says he refuses to be pushed into apologiz
Jimmy Kimmel still remembers the apology.
On Monday, June 1, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host told Vulture that his early career has plenty of moments he’s not proud of—but he insists his 2013 apology over a “Kids’ Table” sketch about China is not one of them.
The episode featured a controversial segment in which a 6-year-old proposed killing everyone in China to solve the national debt crisis. Rather than let the moment pass as a joke. Kimmel asked the children. “Should we allow the Chinese to live?” Most of the kids shouted “Yes!” But one child firmly said. “No!” The sketch then turned into a brief debate before Kimmel ended it by dubbing the group the Lord of the Flies edition of the recurring “Kids’ Table” segment.
Kimmel told Vulture he never should have apologized for it. “For the good of the Disney company, I took that bullet,” he said. He also pointed out that the segment was removed from replays of the episode, even though many viewers were shocked it ever made it to air.
The fallout was loud and fast. More than 75. 000 people signed a White House petition demanding an investigation into the sketch. with some comparing the language used in the segment to Nazi Germany’s persecution of Jews. Protesters even gathered outside Kimmel’s Hollywood studio, carrying signs featuring images of the host with a Hitler mustache.
Kimmel’s own earlier response came with language of regret. In the initial aftermath, he said, “If I upset you, I’m very, very sorry. I did not mean to upset you. I feel like we made a mistake putting it on the air.” He also spoke to cameras inside the El Capitan Theatre. saying. “I feel bad you did not take it as a joke.”.
ABC followed with its own formal apology through an executive statement. “We would never purposefully broadcast anything to upset the Chinese community, Asian community, anyone of Chinese descent or any community at large. … Our objective is to entertain,” the executives said.
What changed for Kimmel, though, wasn’t just time—it was the way the apology dynamic began to feel to him. These days, he refuses to be pushed into apologizing for something he doesn’t believe is wrong.
He’s said the same principle mattered again after a separate disruption in his career. In September 2025, Jimmy Kimmel Live!. was suspended after he made controversial remarks about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Despite pressure for him to apologize, he refused. President Donald Trump blamed Kimmel and his low ratings for the suspension, while others came to his defense.
“One of the things we talked about when I first got suspended was that I can’t do this show if I’m going to be micromanaged,” Kimmel told Vulture. After the suspension, he said Disney’s only advice was to “respond and move on.”
There’s also money and leverage behind his steadier stance. In December 2025, he signed a one-year contract extension with Disney—shorter than the three-year deal he typically receives. Kimmel told Vulture he understands the decision, given how “tumultuous” late-night TV has become. “That seemed to make sense,” he said. “It’s definitely not how it’s gone in the past.”.
For Kimmel, the thread running through all of it—from the China “Kids’ Table” apology to the later suspension—is simple. He may say he’s learned from the firestorms. But he’s also drawing a line at apologizing for jokes he believes he shouldn’t have been forced to regret.
Jimmy Kimmel Jimmy Kimmel Live Vulture Kids' Table China sketch apology White House petition El Capitan Theatre ABC apology Disney contract extension late-night TV Charlie Kirk