Is Jimmy Kimmel Really Leaving the U.S. Now That Donald Trump Has Been Re-Elected?

The 2024 Election was a monumental moment. Whether people were happy about the results of the election or not, it was clear that the next four years will be very different than the four preceding them. After the results were announced, people had a variety of reactions. Some people celebrated. Some people panicked. Some talked about the hope they now have for the country. Others quietly packed their bags and planned to move.

In the world of celebrities, big feelings were shared on social media. Yet there's one celebrity that many people look to for a little grounding during turbulent times: Jimmy Kimmel. Fans became concerned after news stories broke that he was planning to leave the U.S. after the election results. So is Jimmy leaving the U.S.? Here's what we know.

No matter who wins an election, there will always be people on "the other side" who say they plan to leave the country after they win. So it's not exactly unbelievable that a celebrity, especially one who has been so outspoken against former and President-elect Donald Trump in the past, might talk about plans to leave. And Jimmy did exactly that.

In a skit released shortly after the election, Jimmy's cast-mate Guillermo Rodriguez discovered the late-night host packing up his dressing room, explaining that he couldn't handle another four years of a Trump presidency. In the skit, Guillermo talks Jimmy into staying, then flips the script as he trots off-set with his own plans of leaving the country.

Satire sites and social media accounts ran with it, blasting the headlines that Jimmy was planning to leave for Canada and never return, along with announcing that his show would wrap for good in January. But according to Reuters, who received a statement from a representative at ABC, there's no basis to the rumors at all.

So never fear, Jimmy's still here. And plans to remain so for at least the foreseeable future. As far as we know, he's not leaving.

Although Jimmy and his late-night cohort seem like they're just in it for the laughs, the late-night shows have an important role in any president's administration.

Late-night shows are, in essence, an exercise of the First Amendment and the right to free speech. That they can stand boldly on set and brutally roast elected officials is a constant test of the right to speak free from government censure, which is a vital American right.

Although it can seem like the hosts tend to enjoy targeting Trump over other presidents, there may be a few reasons for this. First, it seems as though many of them lean left. Or at least, that is how the public perceives them. And second, Trump tends to make outrageous headlines, seemingly by design, to keep his name in the press. Which makes him perfect fodder for late-night jokes.

Yet while people are laughing and presidents are being humbled, Americans are witnessing their right to free speech in action. Still protected, and still vital.