ADVERTISEMENT Celebrated American comedian and talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has revealed he has obtained Italian citizenship, following Donald Trump’s comments that Kimmel’s show could be “next” on the chopping block after CBS cancelled Stephen Colbert’s show.
Kimmel, a longtime critic of Trump, referred to his dual citizenship during an appearance on The Sarah Silverman Podcast.
“I did get Italian citizenship,” Kimmel shared – something which was confirmed by Italian news agency Ansa, who said that he obtained Italian citizenship this year after proving his ancestral lineage.
He noted that several American A-listers – including Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O’Donnell – had also sought dual citizenship considering the current state of affairs in the US, with Trump targeting media personalities who don’t politically align with him and are vocally critical of his administration.
“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 [Trump] would like it to be.”
Kimmel has often criticised Trump in monologues on his show Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He has also spoken out against the president when hosting the Oscars, memorably fueling their feud in 2024 by reading out Trump’s criticism of the ceremony before the announcement of Best Picture.
Trump posted on Truth Social during the ceremony and called Kimmel a bad host, to which Kimmel responded: “Well, thank you President Trump. Thank you for watching, I’m surprised you’re still up – isn’t it past your jail time?”
The host has also referred to Trump as “Commander-In-Thief”, “His MAGA-Sty”, “Jabba The Pizza Hut” and “The Shart of the Deal” – in reference to Trump’s book, “The Art of the Deal”.
The news of Kimmel’s dual citizenship comes after the bombshell news that CBS was ending The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which pulls no punches when it comes to slamming Trump.
In a press conference last week, Trump stated: “(Jimmy) 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. I don’t know, but I would imagine because they’d get — you know, Colbert has better ratings than Kimmel or Fallon.”
Trump doubled down in a Truth Social post: “Next up will be an even less talented Jimmy Kimmel, and then, a weak, and very insecure, Jimmy Fallon. The only real question is, who will go first?”
Kimmel fired back with an Instagram post referencing Trump’s friendship with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein: “I’m hearing you’re next. Or maybe it’s just another wonderful secret” – a reference to a line in a letter to Epstein that Trump has denied writing that expresses hope that “every day be another wonderful secret.”
Kimmel’s fellow comedian Rosie O’Donnell recently shared fears that the show The View would also be axed for not bowing down to Trump.
O’Donnell, who was a host on the show from 2006 to 2007 and has frequently feuded with Trump, wrote: “You know what I just read today? ABC is ‘reviewing the liberal bias’ on ‘The View’. The show with five women speaking their own opinions. That’s the threat now. They say they’re not cancelling it, they’re just ‘reviewing the bias,’ which is code for – we’re gonna cancel it, we’re just trying to soften you up first.”
The comedian moved to Ireland after Trump was re-elected, and has faced threats from Trump over her US citizenship.
Kimmel has hosted the ABC late-night comedy show Jimmy Kimmel Live! for 22 years. The current contract for the show runs out in 2026.
