Jimmy Kimmel sent a group text message to his fellow late-night hosts when Melania Trump blasted him on social media
NEED TO KNOW
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John Oliver revealed during a joint interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that Kimmel had a text for his peers when "Melania got mad at him"
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The first lady called on ABC to "take a stand" against Kimmel over a joke he made on his show in April
Jimmy Kimmelreached out to his late-night peers during his latest rift with the White House.
During the Monday, May 11 episode ofThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Kimmel was joined by fellow guestsSeth Meyers,John OliverandJimmy Fallonas they helped ring in Colbert's final weeks on air.
At one point in the discussion, Colbert, 61, asked his guests if they ever anticipated to be "doing a job that the president of the United States would have strong feelings about."
"You know what's even weirder? Doing a job that his wife has strong feelings about. That's where it crosses over," Kimmel joked, referring to his recentback-and-forthwith PresidentDonald Trumpand first ladyMelania Trump.
"Most of us have avoided that part," Meyers, 52, said.
As it turns out, Kimmel, 58, texted his fellow late-night hosts via a group chat when the first lady called him out on social media. On Monday, April 27, Melaniaasked for ABC to "take a stand"against Kimmel over what she claimed was "hateful and violent rhetoric" on his show.
"It's an amazing thing to get in a group text, just a text from Jimmy saying, 'Oh boy,' and then a picture of Melania mad at him," Oliver, 49, said. "What a way to start the day."
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"And then I sent a text to you guys. I sent, 'Don't be mad at me but I liked it. I think she's got a point,'" Fallon joked.
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After Colbert asked Kimmel how he feels when he sees the "attention" that comments from the White House cause, theJimmy Kimmel Live!host revealed what the "saddest part of it is."
"I realize in those moments that the only four people who care are sitting right here. It takes 12 hours for the rest of the people in my life to even figure out that anything's going on," he said. "Two hours after that, a guy I used to work with sent me a text. He's like, 'Hey, do you know a real estate lawyer?'"
On Thursday, April 23, Kimmel delivered an "alternative" White House Correspondents' Dinner segment on his show, joking that Melania, 56, had "a glow like an expectant widow." The comment, which came two days before agunman opened fire, prompted backlash from both Melania and her husband, who called on ABC and Disney to fire Kimmel.
"When is ABC Fake News Network firing seriously unfunny Jimmy Kimmel, who incompetently presides over one of the Lowest Rated shows on Television," Trump wrote onTruth Social. "People are angry. It better be soon!!!"
Kimmel said during his April 27 monologue that his comment was "obviously a joke about their age difference and the look of joy we see on her face every time they're together."
"It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he's almost 80 and she's younger than I am," he said. "It was not by any stretch a call to assassination and they know that I've been very vocal for many years, speaking out against gun violence in particular."
Jimmy Kimmel Live!was temporarily pulled from the air in September 2025 after comments he made aboutCharlie Kirk’sdeath in an opening monologue. Hemade his return to the airwavessix days later.
Jimmy Kimmel Live!airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC. Thefinal episodeof Colbert's show is scheduled for Thursday, May 21. Until then,The Late Show with Stephen Colbertairs weekdays on CBS at 11:35 p.m. ET.
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