Jimmy Kimmel Lost Brand Deals Worth $500M?

Online rumors claimed in 2024 that not only did the talk show host lose brand deals worth millions, it also caused the shuttering of his TV show.

The Facebook page SpaceX Fanclub posted a meme positing that late-night television talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has lost brand deals to the tune of millions of dollars.

The meme contained a caption, which read: “Jimmy Kimmel Loses Brand Deals Worth Millions Gets His Late Night Show Shut Down

Breaking: Jimmy Kimmel Loses Brand Deals Worth $500 Million After His Woke Oscars Monologue

In an astonishing twist of fate that has rippled through the entertainment industry, Jimmy Kimmel, the renowned comedian and late-night talk show host, finds himself at a career-defining crossroads. Following his recent Oscars monologue, which was heavily imbued with “woke” themes, Kimmel has reportedly lost brand deals collectively valued at an eye-watering $500 million.

At the heart of this controversy lies Kimmel’s Oscars monologue. Known for his sharp wit and no-holds-barred approach to comedy, Kimmel took to the Oscars stage with a routine that was expected to push boundaries and provoke thought. However, the depth of the political and social commentary, focusing on themes of social justice, equity, and the need for systemic change within Hollywood and beyond, struck a nerve with a significant portion of the viewing audience—and, critically, with several major brands that had aligned themselves with the comedian.

Many people replying to SpaceX Fanclub’s Facebook post appeared to believe the claim, with one writing: “The only good thing on his show is the funny Mexican guy,” to which another person responded, “Wonderful he deserves to be shut down and broke.”

However, many followers were also quick to notice the “Rated Satire” stamp in the top-left corner of the meme, responding in the comments to call out the post as fake. “It literally says ‘satire’! SATIRE but people still buy into it,” posted one follower, while another responded, “Hate the guy, but fake news.”

Indeed, this item was not a factual recounting of real-life events. The Facebook account SpaceX Fanclub is satirical in nature and describes itself thusly: “We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real.”

SpaceX Fanclub is an offshoot of the “news” site Esspots.com, which writes in its website Disclaimer section that all its posts are “entirely fictitious and created for the purpose of entertainment only.”

Esspots describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature on its About Us page, as follows:

Welcome to the US page of Esspots (A Subsidiary of SpaceXMania.com specializing in Satire and Parody News), your one-stop destination for satirical news and commentary about the United States of America. Our team of writers and editors is dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in fake news and absurdity, all with a healthy dose of humor and satire.

On this page, you can expect to find all sorts of hilarious stories and parodies about US politics, culture, and society. From outrageous conspiracy theories to outlandish political stunts, we’ve got it all covered.

While Esspots mentioned several times in the article that multiple brands had allegedly cut ties with Kimmel and would no longer endorse the comedian and host, the article failed to list any of those brands by name.

Because the claim that Kimmel lost brand deals worth millions of dollars stems from a website whose output is explicitly described as satirical in nature, and no other reputable media outlet reported this alleged news, this claim is rated “Labeled Satire.”

As of June 2024, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” airs on the ABC every weeknight at 11:35 p.m.

We’ve previously reported on satirical claims made about various people losing lucrative endorsement deals, including WNBA star Angel Reese, and the false claim that former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick lost an endorsement deal with Nike.