The latest negotiations between Jimmy Kimmel and Disney are moving in a positive direction, with Disney taking a fair step. Kimmel expressed gratitude for the “kindness of fans” and, above all, for his wife Molly McNearney, whose fierce defense of her husband he believes has shaken one of today’s leading news outlets.

In a raw, emotional Instagram post that’s ripped through Tinseltown like a viral clip gone wrong, Jimmy Kimmel just laid bare his soul, thanking the “kindness of fans” who’ve turned his indefinite suspension into a full-blown free speech crusade – but saving his deepest love for wife Molly McNearney, the Emmy-winning head writer whose “fierce” takedowns of media hypocrisy have insiders whispering she’s the one rattling cages at Fox News and beyond!

As Disney execs huddle in Burbank for round-the-clock compromise talks, sources tell Gossip Central the late-night funnyman is “cautiously optimistic” about a swift return to ABC, but not without strings attached. “Molly’s been his shield and sword – her op-eds and off-the-record blasts at conservative outlets have flipped the script,” dishes a Kimmel confidant. “Jimmy’s calling her the real MVP in this mess.”

It all detonated on that explosive Monday, September 15, when Kimmel’s razor-edged monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live! lit the fuse. Just days after conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk – the 31-year-old Turning Point USA co-founder and Trump whisperer – was gunned down in a shocking assassination at Utah Valley University on September 10, Kimmel didn’t hold back. “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” he quipped, slamming Trump’s supporters for allegedly politicizing the tragedy before the dust settled on suspect Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old with no clear MAGA ties but a manifesto ranting against “right-wing hate.” The studio audience erupted, but online? It was Armageddon. Trump fired off a Truth Social scorcher: “Kimmel’s fake laughs are over – bad ratings and worse judgment!” By Tuesday, FCC Chair Brendan Carr – Trump’s point man and Project 2025 architect – went nuclear on a conservative podcast, vowing “fines or license revocation” for ABC affiliates airing “leftist lies” that could “incite more violence.” Death threats flooded Kimmel’s team, doxxing emails and phones in a chilling echo of post-January 6 paranoia.

Enter the corporate panic button: Nexstar and Sinclair, the station giants beaming ABC to millions (and eyeing FCC blessings for mega-mergers like Nexstar’s $6.2B Tegna grab), bolted first, preempting Kimmel in two dozen markets and branding his words “offensive and insensitive.” By Wednesday afternoon, September 17 – taping time at Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre – Disney CEO Bob Iger and TV overlord Dana Walden hit speed dial. “Jimmy, we’re preempting indefinitely – safety first, but this firestorm’s torching our affiliates,” Walden reportedly broke it to him in a “businesslike” call, per Deadline insiders. Kimmel, stunned, stormed out sans smirk, his mind on the 100+ crew facing payroll purgatory and his four kids, including son Billy’s heart-defect battles that’ve fueled Kimmel’s gun-reform fire. Celebrity guests – en route for that night’s taping – got the rug-pull via frantic texts, while audience lines snaked in vain outside the theater.

The backlash? A Hollywood hurricane meets MAGA schadenfreude. Protests clogged Disney gates in Burbank and NYC, with “Free Jimmy!” chants drowning out counter-signs like “MAGA Mourns Kirk – Kimmel Cancels Comedy.” Stars swarmed socials: Jason Bateman blasted it as a “gutless cave to bullies” on Today, Henry Winkler tweeted, “Jimmy’s humor shows us who we are – don’t silence the mirror!”; even Conan O’Brien thundered on X, “This should disturb everyone on the Right, Left & Center.” Odd allies emerged: Ted Cruz warned on his pod of “boomerang precedents” if Dems reclaim power, while Barack Obama posted, “Defend speech, whether it’s Kirk or Kimmel – democracy demands it.” Disney+ subs cratered – crash reports spiked, stock dipped 3% – as Tatiana Maslany urged a boycott: “Cancel your subs – this is the hill we die on!” Inside the Mouse House? Mutiny: Execs leaked fury at Iger, one griping, “This isn’t what Bob should be doing – it’s not our soul.”

But by Friday, September 19, the plot twisted toward détente. Deadline spilled: Disney’s wiring paychecks to Kimmel’s crew next week – a “major olive branch” amid “deep, daily huddles” with Iger, Walden, and Kimmel’s reps. Variety confirms no full deal yet – murmurs of “toned-down monologues” or FCC disclaimers swirl – but leverage tilts Kimmel’s way. “The boycott burn’s real; they’re hopeful for a swift return,” a network vet spills. Even conservatives like Adam Carolla chime in, decrying “precedent that’ll boomerang.”

Cue the heartstrings: Molly McNearney, Kimmel’s 48-year-old writing wizard and Vegas-wed soulmate since 2013, morphed into warrior queen. While Jimmy sheltered with family, Molly unleashed scorched-earth op-eds in The Hollywood Reporter, rallying A-listers and allegedly cornering a Fox exec in a “blistering” green-room clash: “She quoted MLK, eviscerated their double standards on Kirk coverage, then mic-dropped – pure legend,” a pal gushes. Kimmel’s Saturday IG post (his first since the axe) melted timelines: “Grateful beyond words for the kindness of fans who’ve flooded my DMs with love. But above all, to my fierce Molly – your defense has moved mountains and rattled the giants. Couldn’t do life without you. #FamilyFirst #BackSoon?” Replies exploded: “Molly’s the queen we need!” hit 50K likes.

Yet shadows loom. James Woods torched Kimmel on X: “Future was DOA – ratings tanked!”; Trump smirked from the UK: “Good riddance – NBC, you’re next!” Will Kimmel swallow a gag for glory, or Netflix-bolt and burn bridges? As one exec quips, “This FCC siege could redefine late-night – or torch it.” One truth shines: In America’s comedy coliseum, love, laughs, and leverage might just outfox the fallout.