Jimmy Kimmel and his late night stomping ground have popped up in the news a lot recently, in part due to ABC's temporary suspension. But that controversy is no doubt preferable to the tragic news that shook everyone up this week. Kimmel revealed the death of band leader and close friend Cleto Escobedo III, and paid tribute to the musician during his monologue on November 12's episode, while also announcing the rest of this week's episodes would be canceled.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! Will Be Off For The Rest Of The Week
The decision to call off new episodes through Friday follows a string of surprise absences from Jimmy Kimmel Live! The show aired a repeat on November 7 for what were reported as “personal reasons.” No further detail was given, though some outlets are now reporting that decision was related to Ecobedo's poor health. Kimmel mentioned during the episode that his friend had been admitted to the UCLA Medical Center prior to his death, although the cause of death has not been revealed.
Outside of episodic plans, Kimmel eulogized his friend and told the audience all about growing up across the street from him when he was nine years old. The two had been close friends ever since. Escobedo began a music career as a saxophonist while Kimmel started his career in broadcasting. When Kimmel was offered Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he reached out to his old friend to ask him to lead the band.
Jimmy Kimmel Explained Why They Didn't Axe Tuesday Night's Episode As Well
Kimmel said Escobedo was a big Eddie Murphy fan, which was part of the reason he wanted to go ahead with the episode, as Murphy was on hand to promote his documentary, Being Eddie, coming to Netflix. Check out the full monologue below.
The decision to postpone new episodes comes after a week of unplanned absences. And those occurred less than two months after Kimmel addressed the death of Charlie Kirk during his monologue. Kimmel was suspended for a week, and the show was preempted after major affiliate groups refused to air it. Kimmel returned to the show's highest ratings in years.
While fans will certainly be disappointed not to have new episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! For the rest of the week, they’ll also completely understand the reason. Fans who have been watching Kimmel for years have been watching Cleto Escobedo for just as long, and the show will certainly be different without him.
It’s not hard to imagine that those who work on both sides of the camera will need some time to come to terms with the loss of somebody who had been there for so long. Jimmy Kimmel Live is expected to return to the air on Monday.
