Jimmy Kimmel's Disney Exit: Inside the Reported Years of Tension

Jimmy Kimmel is expected to end his late-night run later this year after 24 years at ABC, and new reports suggest the split has been brewing for a long time. Sources told Page Six that Kimmel rarely appeared on ABC shows like“GMA”or“The View,”with one insider calling him“unmanageable”and pointing to his Disney upfront roast back in May as a breaking point.

His supporters aren’t having it. They say Kimmel has logged 66 synergy appearances since last October and still hosts the Oscars, so the“doesn’t play well with the network”story doesn’t match the receipts. The backdrop matters here: Kimmel was temporarily suspended last year over Trump comments and reportedly felt unprotected by Disney. Now, with Stephen Colbert’s show canceled at CBS, late night is entering a whole new era, and Disney’s Dana Walden says the company is“working through”things while calling her relationship with Kimmel a real friendship.

So what’s the real story? Is this about synergy, politics, money, or all three? Late night’s biggest names are in flux right now, and Kimmel’s next move could say a lot about where the whole format is headed.

Do you think Disney did right by Kimmel, or should he have walked sooner? Sound off in the comments.