Television host Jimmy Kimmel returned to the Oscars stage on Sunday night and used the moment to deliver a series of sharp jokes, including remarks aimed at President Donald Trump, Melania Trump, and CBS. The comedian, best known for hosting “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, appeared at the Los Angeles ceremony to present awards in two documentary categories.
Kimmel, who has hosted the Academy Awards four times, began by praising filmmakers who take risks to tell important stories. While introducing the documentary awards on the ABC broadcast, he spoke about the courage required to share certain narratives with the world.
“We hear a lot about courage at shows like this, but telling a story that could get you killed for telling it is real courage,” Kimmel said while addressing the audience.
He then moved into a joke about global attitudes toward free speech. “As you know, there are some countries whose leaders don’t support free speech. I’m not at liberty to say which,” Kimmel said. “Let’s just leave it at North Korea and CBS,” Kimmel quipped, drawing applause and laughter from the crowd.
His remark referenced recent controversy surrounding CBS and its parent company. Skydance, owned by David Ellison, purchased Paramount, the parent company of CBS, last year. David Ellison is the son of billionaire Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, a close ally of President Trump. Following the merger, some Democrats and media critics accused Paramount of reshaping CBS in ways that could serve the Ellison family’s business interests.
Kimmel continued by highlighting the importance of documentary filmmakers who expose injustice and share powerful stories. “Fortunately for all of us, there is an international community of filmmakers dedicated to telling the truth, oftentimes at great risk, to make films that teach us, that call out injustice, that inspire us to take action,” he said.
However, the comedian quickly added another joke aimed at the White House. “And there are also documentaries where you walk around the White House trying on shoes,” Kimmel added. The comment appeared to reference “Melania,” an Amazon documentary released earlier this year that featured multiple scenes focusing on Melania Trump’s footwear.
After presenting the Oscar for Documentary Short Film to “All the Empty Rooms,” a film about the bedrooms of school shooting victims, Kimmel returned to the stage to introduce the Documentary Feature Film category. While doing so, he appeared to reference the president again.
“Oh man,” Kimmel said. “Is he gonna be mad his wife wasn’t nominated for this?” Kimmel cracked. Kimmel and Trump have maintained a public feud for years. The late-night host frequently jokes about Trump during his shows, while Trump has criticized Kimmel on social media.
During the 2024 Academy Awards, Kimmel even read a social media post from Trump criticizing him as host. “Has there ever been a worse host than Jimmy Kimmel at the Oscars?” Kimmel said, reading Trump’s social media post. “Isn’t it past your jail time?” Kimmel then said in a comment directed at Trump.
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