39 | Friday, September 19, 2025Hundreds of stars sign letter defending free speech after Kimmel's suspension Print | Front Page | Email this story To:From:Message:From (email):Message:NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of Hollywood and Broadway stars — including Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep — are urging Americans "fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights" in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel's suspension. After a group of ABC-affiliated stations said they wouldn't air "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" The Walt Disney Co. pulled the show Wednesday just before air, prompting a firestorm of debate over free speech. "Regardless of our political affiliation, or whether we engage in politics or not, we all love our country," the letter says. "This is the moment to defend free speech across our nation.