Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep, and more reportedly join ACLU letter defending Jimmy Kimmel

A wave of Hollywood heavyweights, including Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Bateman, and Martin Short, have joined the American Civil Liberties Union in signing an open letter criticizing Disney's recent move to remove Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show from its schedule. The note says that this kind of move, which hits artists, reporters, and public figures for what they say, puts the basic right of free speech in the U.S. at risk. It ends by asking every American to stand up and to protect the right to speak freely.

Last week, Disney shared that ABC will remove Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show for a while, due to some push from big U.S. TV station owners. Nexstar Media, a big broadcaster in the country, wants to stop the show because of Kimmel's words about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. They said his words were "strongly objectionable."

Also, Sinclair Broadcast Group said it will stop the show on its TV stations, too. The controversy has drawn attention across Hollywood, with some actors who work with Disney, including Martin Short, Florence Pugh, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Kathryn Hahn, signing a letter about this debate.

Civil rights groups warn of rising government pressure on media

Civil rights groups are raising alarm over what they see as rising government pressure on media voices, likening it to tactics from the 1950s McCarthy era. Anthony D. Romero, the American Civil Liberties Union's leader, has slammed recent moves against Jimmy Kimmel and other media figures, naming it a "modern McCarthy era" of silencing.

In his words, Romero pointed to the strength of joint efforts, noting how past public pushback eventually cut down Senator McCarthy's power. The ACLU-driven note fighting these actions has the support of famous names like Ariana DeBose, Jane Fonda, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Regina King, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Diego Luna, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Natalie Portman. Anthony D. Romero said (via Variety):

"We now find ourselves in a modern McCarthy era, facing exactly the type of heavy-handed government censorship our Constitution rightfully forbids. The silencing of Jimmy Kimmel and jawboning of media outlets through lawsuits and threats to their licenses evoke dark memories of the 1950s... We must remember, however, that Senator McCarthy was ultimately disgraced and neutralized once Americans mobilized and stood up to him. We must do the same today because, together, our voices are louder and, together, we will fight to be heard."

Keep reading PRIMETIMER for more informative content!