Lindelof opened his post by relaying a story about hearing Kimmel for the first time on the radio show Kevin & Bean. “I was a fan of his goofy honest wit from the jump and I never imagined we would one day be friends,” he wrote. “I met him for the first time backstage at the ABC upfronts in 2004… he had just seen The Lost pilot and dug it. He also said, ‘I hope you guys know what you’re doing.’ In the twenty years since, I’ve gotten to know Jimmy and if you know Jimmy, you know his incredible wife and head writer, Molly, who is not just his better half but his better three quarters.”
“You also know he is caring and empathic and grateful. You know he loves his country. You know he appreciates a good roast and he can take as good as he gives. You know he supported his crew through multiple strikes and you know he is generous and philanthropic and most of all, you know that he is kind,” the post continued. “I was shocked, saddened and infuriated by yesterday’s suspension and look forward to it being lifted soon. If it isn’t, I can’t in good conscience work for the company that imposed it.”
Lindelof has a preexisting relationship with ABC, as it was the network that aired all six seasons of Lost. Since then, he’s also created shows for HBO (The Leftovers, Watchmen, and upcoming DC series Lanterns) and Peacock (Mrs. Davis). “If you’re about to fire up in my comments, just ask yourself if you know the difference between hate speech and a joke. I think you still do,” he concluded his post. “And Jimmy? You’ve ALWAYS known what you were doing. Love you and support you. D.”
Others, including several Democratic House Representatives, both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, and a number of celebrities, have also spoken out in Kimmel’s defense. In an appearance at the Atlantic Festival today, fellow long-time host David Letterman called the situation “misery,” per Variety. “I feel bad about this,” he went on. “We see where this is all going, correct? It’s managed media. And it’s no good. It’s silly. It’s ridiculous. And you can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian criminal administration in the Oval Office. That’s just not how this works.”
