The crew of Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be paid next week.
Deadline understands that the ABC show sent a note out to staff to inform them on the move as talks between the company and Kimmel continue.
It’s seen as a positive sign in terms of the show’s potential return to the airwaves with the network not wanting to anger the host or his team as they remain in discussions.
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Kimmel and Disney executives have been talking since the network indefinitely preempted Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday night. There were discussions Thursday and more today. While no final agreement has been reached, the fact that there’s an open dialogue bodes well for the idea that Kimmel could return soon.
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RELATED: Watch Jimmy Kimmel’s Comments About Charlie Kirk That Got His ABC Show Yanked
Before the move on Wednesday, Disney wanted Kimmel to apologize for his comments around the killer of Charlie Kirk. He was unwilling to do that on the show on Wednesday night and wanted to double down, to discuss the remarks and highlight how they’ve been incorrectly perceived, largely among MAGA supporters.
Disney preempted JKL! moments after Nexstar announced that it would not be running the show on its local stations, a move followed by another station group, Sinclair.
Kimmel is a popular figure among the crew and is not thought to want any decision that he makes to negatively impact them, particularly as many of them were hit by the pandemic, the writers and actors strikes and the L.A. wildfires in recent years.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! shoots Mondays through Thursdays at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.