Mentalist Oz Pearlman will no longer appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday night, even though he had been booked as a guest. His decision to cancel comes in the immediate aftermath of the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where he had been performing just moments before the chaos unfolded.
The timing is hard to ignore. Pearlman’s withdrawal comes two days after the incident at the Washington Hilton and just hours after both President Trump and first lady Melania Trump publicly criticized Kimmel, calling for him to be fired over a recent monologue they described as offensive and inflammatory.
During a sketch on last week’s show, Kimmel poked fun at the Correspondents’ Dinner with a mock speech that included a jab at Melania Trump. In the bit, he said, “Our first lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.” The line quickly drew backlash, especially in light of the events that followed days later.
After the shooting, Melania Trump responded forcefully on social media, accusing Kimmel of contributing to a toxic climate. She wrote that “people like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate,” adding that his rhetoric was divisive and harmful. She also criticized ABC for continuing to support him, suggesting the network was shielding him from consequences.
President Trump echoed those sentiments in a separate post, calling Kimmel’s remarks a “despicable call to violence” and urging Disney and ABC to take immediate action.
Pearlman, who was performing at the dinner when the situation escalated, described the moment in stark terms. In an Instagram post, he recalled being mid-performance when he noticed a sudden disturbance. At first, he thought it might be a bomb or gunfire. Within seconds, he and others dropped to the floor as Secret Service agents moved in.
He said he ended up just a few feet from the president during the incident, describing it as the most frightening experience of his life. Despite the fear, he expressed relief that no one was seriously hurt.
Authorities later identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Allen, who now faces multiple charges, including attempted assassination of the president and firearms violations.
Meanwhile, ABC’s website lists Pod Save America host Jon Lovett as Pearlman’s replacement for Monday’s show. Neither Kimmel nor Pearlman has publicly commented on the booking change.
The situation adds to a string of controversies surrounding Kimmel. He was previously taken off the air for a week last September following backlash over comments related to the killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. That incident sparked advertiser pressure and calls for boycotts against Disney, though Kimmel did not issue a full apology when he returned, saying only that he never intended to make light of a tragedy.
