Metro Weekly

Jimmy Kimmel apologizes for gay joke directed at Sean Hannity

Late night host jokingly asked if Sean Hannity was a bottom for President Trump

Jimmy Kimmel — Photo: Disney|ABC Television Group

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel apologized on Sunday for a tweet directed at Fox News’ Sean Hannity that some viewed as homophobic.

During an online feud that spilled from their Twitter feeds into their shows, Kimmel posted a comeback that angered some members of the LGBTQ community, writing, “Don’t worry – just keep tweeting – you’ll get back on top! (or does Trump prefer you on bottom?)”

Kimmel ended the fighting on Sunday with a tweet apologizing for bringing the LGBTQ community into the vitriol, saying, “I, too, will give my words more thought…. By lampooning Sean Hannity’s deference to the President, I most certainly did not intend to belittle or upset members of the gay community and to those who took offense, I apologize.”

The feud started when Kimmel made fun of Melania Trump’s accent last week on his show Jimmy Kimmel Live! Hannity used his show to sling mud, calling Kimmel an “ass clown” and a “disgrace.”

Kimmel responded by using Hannity’s own insult against him, saying, “If I’m an ass clown, you are the whole ass circus,” and called the Fox News Host the “Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey of ass clownsmanship.”

The fighting was then escalated when Hannity pulled out videos from Kimmel’s earlier show where he invited women to feel his crotch, which Hannity then used to call him “Harvey Weinstein Junior.”

Kimmel called out Hannity’s hypocrisy by referencing Hannity’s support for people like Roy Moore and Bill O’Reilly, both of whom have been accused of sexually assaulting or harassing women.

After two days of fighting, Kimmel used Sunday’s tweet to not only apologize to the gay community but put an end to the feud, saying the exchange did more bad than good.

“While I admit I did have fun with our back and forth, after some thought, I realise that the level of vitriol from all sides (mine and me included) does nothing good for anyone and, in fact, is harmful to our country,” Kimmel wrote.

He added one last jab at Hannity, however, saying that he hopes that this will be a learning experience for him as well.

“I am hopeful that Sean Hannity will learn from this too,” he said, “and continue his newly-found advocacy for women, immigrants and First Ladies and that he will triumph in his heroic battle against sexual harassment and perversion.”

Hannity responded to Kimmel’s apology during his Monday night show on Fox News.

“It appears to be more of a forced corporate Disney apology directed more toward the LGBTQ community rather than about Kimmel’s comments about the First Lady,” Hannity said. “But honestly that’s ultimately up to you to decide here. I believe everyone should accept apologies. That’s how I was raised. That’s what my religion teaches me. And I’m going to assume he’s sincere. But from my perspective, I do kind of enjoy a good fight, and I do agree with Jimmy in the sense that it’s time to move on.”

Hannity then invited Kimmel onto his show to debate politics, adding, “My bet is that you’ll actually agree with me on a lot more issues than you think.”

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