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Disney’s Dana Walden Says White House Made No Contact During Kimmel Suspension

Walden characterizes the September pause as a de‑escalation step in response to affiliate resistance plus regulatory threats.

Overview

  • Walden said neither President Trump nor anyone from the White House reached Disney leadership during Jimmy Kimmel Live!'s September suspension.
  • She described the decision as a short pause to cool an extremely heated situation and to confer with Kimmel with employee and audience safety in mind.
  • Two major affiliate groups, Nexstar and Sinclair, declined to air the show as FCC chair Brendan Carr signaled potential scrutiny of ABC station licenses.
  • Walden rejected reports of surging cancellations at Disney+ and Hulu connected to the episode, calling them highly exaggerated and pointing to a strong quarter.
  • In the same interview, she outlined a cautious exploration of AI with creative partners and downplayed talk of the CEO succession, though she is widely viewed as a leading candidate.