TORONTO – Sarah McLachlan appeared on Jimmy Kimmel’s first show back since the late-night comic was suspended last week.
The Halifax-born singer-songwriter was the musical guest on Tuesday’s return of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
She performed the title track from her 10th studio album, “Better Broken.” It was her first album in nine years and was released on Sept. 19, 2025.
Kimmel was pulled from the airwaves by ABC over comments he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was 31. The decision triggered a widespread discussion about freedom of speech and President Donald Trump’s ability to police the words of journalists and comics.
Choking up as he delivered his monologue, Kimmel said it was never his intention to “make light of the murder of a young man.”
Kimmel added: “Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what … was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make.” He said he understood his remarks last week to some “felt either ill-timed or unclear or maybe both.”
He thanked the people who supported him, and even people who don’t like him, who stood up for his right to speak, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. “It takes courage for them to speak out against this administration,” he said. “They did, and they deserve credit for it.”
In Canada, Kimmel’s show is simulcast on Citytv, which filled his empty time slot with episodes of “Hudson & Rex” and “Impractical Jokers” over the past week.
But two groups of ABC affiliates in the United States that denounced Kimmel’s comments said they would not air his return.
Nexstar Media Group said its suspension of the show continues, “pending assurances that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.”
On Sunday, McLachlan cancelled music performances at the premiere of her Lilith Fair documentary in Los Angeles, saying it was a gesture of solidarity to support free speech.
While she did not directly reference the Kimmel controversy in her remarks or the documentary’s connections to Disney, which owns Hulu and ABC, she told the audience that she was concerned about the erosion of people’s rights, including “the muzzling of free speech.”
Representatives for McLachlan noted that she was already slated to appear on Kimmel’s show to promote her new record, “Better Broken,” before the host was pulled from the air.
McLachlan’s 10th studio album finds the singer reflecting on the past decade as she faced personal challenges and considered the state of the world while raising two daughters.
Her documentary, “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery,” which is available on CBC Gem in Canada, revisits the legacy of the all-female music festival and the pressure McLachlan endured in the face of criticism and threats over the event’s pro-choice stance on abortion.
“It’s a perfect time to remind women that if we stand up and work together, we can create change,” she told The Canadian Press last month of the film.
“Because there’s this purposeful division happening to … keep people afraid and quiet so that the powers that be can do whatever they want.”
— with files from The Associated Press
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2025.
