Jimmy Kimmel is now the latest high-profile figure in Hollywood to hint at leaving the U.S., fed up with the political climate and, more specifically, Donald Trump’s return to power.
The late-night host, 57, has revealed he secured Italian citizenship—apparently as a backup plan, in case he actually gets “canceled” by Trump, who’s made no secret of his disdain for Kimmel and his outspoken criticism.
Is Jimmy Kimmel Planning To Escape US?
“I did get Italian citizenship, I do have that,” Kimmel said. “What’s going on is as bad as you thought it was gonna be. It’s so much worse, it’s just unbelievable—I feel like it’s probably even worse than he would like it to be.”
Trump, for his part, recently warned that both Kimmel and fellow late-night host Jimmy Fallon could soon be out of work, after rumors started swirling about Howard Stern’s departure from Sirius XM. From the Oval Office, Trump said, “Fallon has no talent. Kimmel has no talent. They’re next. They’re going to be going, I hear they’re going to be going.”
Other Hollywood stars who have left the US over Donald Trump
There’s a bit of a trend here: Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O’Donnell have both left the U.S. since Trump’s victory, moving to England and Ireland, respectively. Both have openly clashed with Trump in the past.
Kimmel’s “escape plan” comes at a time when other celebrities are also voicing frustration with the direction of the country and the entertainment industry.
In the same interview, Kimmel criticized the “loud” segment of the left for fueling cancel culture. He argued, “It’s not the party. It’s not the majority. It’s the loud voices that scare people from saying what they believe and make you think twice about a joke. A lot of their points are valid, but a lot of them are also just repulsive, in that they repel people. They go like, ‘Oh, you’re no fun. I don’t want to be around you.’ And I think if you had to boil it down to one thing, that’s kind of what it is.”
Kimmel also addressed Trump supporters who have since regretted their vote, saying he rejects the idea of shutting them out: “If you wanna change your mind, that’s so hard to do. If you want to admit you were wrong, that’s hard and so rare to do, you are welcome.”
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