Jimmy Kimmel's wife warns 'please don't read this' in 'regretful' Donald Trump move

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel is in hot water after making controversial comments about the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk - and it's not the first time he's found himself embroiled in rows.

At the 2024 Academy Awards, host Jimmy Kimmel made a bold move when he read aloud a critical post from Donald Trump, who had mocked his performance and the show.

His wife, Molly McNearney, 47, co-executive producer of the telecast, had pleaded with him to ignore Trump's words and not air them. In a recent interview, Molly said she "wasn't proud of her warning", saying she misjudged the situation.

The moment came late in the ceremony, when a post from Truth Social by Trump declared: "Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars… His opening was … disjointed, boring … MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

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Producers, including his own wife, tried to dissuade Kimmel, 57, from reading it. Molly told Variety: "I said, ‘Please don't read this.\ I don't want to give Trump airtime in the Oscars. This is the one time we don't have to talk about him."

Despite her reservation, the comedian insisted on reading out the comment. He insisted, "Yes I am" when producers asked him not to deliver the line. In his response, he also delivered a punch: "Isn't it past your jail time?"

The broadcast included one of the more discussed comedy bits of the night: a "nude" John Cena presenting with only an envelope covering him, as part of a streaker-spoof stunt tied to the 1974 Oscars incident.

Producers were said to be uneasy, with side conversations, extensive planning, and concerns over taste. Molly admitted in retrospect that she felt the show was going well and didn't want to risk ending it on a "sour note" or give additional controversy.

She said that her instinct to protect the ceremony from political divisiveness was strong, but being married to the host can cause tension.

Kimmel's decision, though controversial, was broadly praised by many who felt it pushed back against attacks in a comedic way.

Audience reaction at the time was strong, with many cheering when he read the post and delivered his retort. "I will tell you, I'm never going to win an argument in my household again!" Molly jokes.

The couple officially started dating around 2010, almost eight years after Jimmy's first marriage ended, got engaged in 2012 during a safari in South Africa (Kruger National Park), and married in 2013, in Ojai, California. They share two children.

The host has recently come under fire for his controversial remarks about the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.

The comedian's long-running TV talk-show was pulled by ABC after he recently suggested that Tyler Robinson, the man accused of fatally shooting Kirk at a university in Utah, was aligned to the Make America Great Again movement.

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