Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night lineup has undergone a sudden change following the terrifying incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
The scheduled guest for Monday’s show has been replaced after witnessing the shooting.
Meanwhile, Kimmel received heavy criticism from both President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, who slammed the TV host for referring to the First Lady as an “expectant widow” before the incident.
Oz Pearlman is no longer set to appear on Monday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” following a dramatic shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD).
The renowned mentalist was the featured performer at the event when gunfire erupted in the Washington Hilton ballroom on Saturday night.
While host Kimmel had previously announced that Pearlman would join him on the show just two days after the dinner, ABC’s updated guest list revealed that he has been swapped for “Pod Save America” cohost Jon Lovett, per Entertainment Weekly.
However, the episode will still feature “Grown-ish” star Anthony Anderson as originally planned. It is unclear if Kimmel’s comment about the incident played a role in the guest switch-up.
The shooting occurred while Pearlman was performing for a room full of dignitaries, leading to the arrest of 31-year-old Cole Allen. Allen has since been charged with attempting to assassinate the president, among other charges.
The Mentalist’s Trick Was Cut Short By The Chaos
The terrifying events in the ballroom left the night’s featured entertainment in a state of shock, especially as his performance was interrupted at a pivotal moment.
Pearlman, who served as both the entertainer and host for the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, was in the middle of a mentalism trick for the President and First Lady when the shooting began.
According to witnesses and footage from the Hilton, Pearlman was interacting with Donald, Melania, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, presenting them with a sheet of paper just seconds before security intervened.
The Blast reported that the interruption brought the performance to a sudden and unresolved halt, leaving the audience and the participants in suspense as the room descended into panic.
Melania Trump Demands Kimmel’s Removal Over His Monologue
The tension surrounding the event only worsened as political figures began to take aim at how the weekend’s events were handled by the media.
Melania issued a scathing response to Kimmel following a controversial monologue he delivered about her and JD Vance in connection with the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. According to The Blast, the First Lady expressed outrage after Kimmel made jokes suggesting she looked like an “expectant widow.”
In a furious social media post, Melania called on ABC to take a stand and remove the comedian from the air, describing his rhetoric as both hateful and corrosive. She argued that Kimmel’s comments were intended to divide the nation rather than provide actual entertainment, stating that his words deepen the “political sickness” within the country.
President Trump Also Called For Kimmel’s Firing
The president similarly slammed Kimmel for his statements about his wife. He took to Truth Social to respond to the viral parody video, specifically addressing the “expectant widow” comment directed at Melania.
Trump characterized the segment as a shocking and sinister display, pointing out that the video falsely made it appear as though the First Lady and their son, Barron, were sitting in the studio audience.
The President’s anger was further fueled by the timing of the broadcast, as he linked Kimmel’s remarks directly to the assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, per The Blast.
Trump concluded his remarks by demanding that Disney and ABC fire Kimmel immediately. He expressed his appreciation for the many supporters who were incensed by the broadcast, using his platform to urge the network to stop enabling what he described as dangerous behavior.
While the President and First Lady characterized Kimmel’s late-night monologue as a dangerous incitement, the host himself is pushing back against the idea that his words were anything more than typical comedy.
During his most recent broadcast, Kimmel addressed the intense controversy surrounding his “expectant widow” remark, which occurred just days before the security crisis involving Cole Tomas Allen.
He used his opening segment to clarify the intent behind the joke while expressing a rare moment of personal sympathy for the ordeal the First Family experienced over the weekend.
Addressing the calls for his firing, Kimmel explained that his description of Melania was “obviously a joke about their age difference” and not a threat to the president’s safety.
The Blast reported that he characterized the comment as a “very light roast,” pointing out the reality that Trump is nearly 80 years old while the First Lady is younger than Kimmel himself.
Despite the tension, Kimmel offered a direct apology for the trauma caused by the shooting, telling Melania he was truly sorry that she and the other attendees had to go through that experience.
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