NEWSRosie O’Donnell Says ABC Rejected Epstein Survivors Segment From ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’
Rosie O’Donnell said ABC rejected her proposed segment featuring eight Jeffrey Epstein survivors.
Sept. 27 2026, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Rosie O’Donnell said ABC prevented her from airing a Jimmy Kimmel Live! segment featuring eight Jeffrey Epstein survivors during her guest-hosting run over the summer.
Speaking on “The Jann Arden Podcast,” O’Donnell said she intended to include the women in her final episode after Attorney General Todd Blanche said he did “not know if there are men out there who abused these women.”
“My idea for the last night was to do the Epstein reveal,” O’Donnell said, “and they said that they were certain that could not happen.”
The Segment Moves to Instagram
Rosie O’Donnell filmed an independent performance with the women after the network’s decision.
O’Donnell responded by independently filming a video with the women, who wore white and sang Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman.” The shoot took approximately two hours, and O’Donnell released the finished video on Instagram on September 3. Kimmel later shared it through his Instagram Story.
“I know it’s been very hard for you and with very little support,” O’Donnell told the women.
“And I’m sorry that our country is so f----- up that this is what you have to live through, because you are all heroes,” she added. “You’re going to change how the world deals with child s-- abuse.”
O’Donnell did not explain why ABC rejected the proposed segment.
The survivors joined Rosie O’Donnell in singing Helen Reddy’s ‘I Am Woman.’
The Epstein performance was not the only material O’Donnell said the network resisted during the four episodes she guest-hosted in August.
She originally planned to end her first monologue with “Donnie Boy,” a parody of the song “Danny Boy” targeting President Donald Trump. ABC pulled the song shortly before the episode began taping.
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Trump Parody Pulled Minutes Before Taping
ABC reportedly pulled Rosie O’Donnell’s ‘Danny Boy’ parody minutes before taping.
“I had five minutes to prepare a different ending to the monologue,” O’Donnell said. “Five minutes.”
She eventually performed the parody during her final episode.
ABC’s Broader Regulatory Fight
She discussed the network’s programming decisions amid its FCC legal dispute.
O’Donnell’s account comes as ABC and corporate parent Disney remain in a legal dispute with the Federal Communications Commission. The companies sued the agency, alleging that threats to the licenses of eight ABC-owned stations represented an “extraordinary assault” on their free-speech rights. The FCC has asked a federal court to dismiss the lawsuit.
Earlier this month, Kimmel moved his interview with Democratic U.S. Senate candidate for Texas James Talarico from ABC to YouTube, citing FCC pressure involving political guest bookings and local affiliates. The online interview received 5 million views within 24 hours.
O’Donnell ended her guest-hosting run by thanking Kimmel for the opportunity.
“He reminded everyone that we have the right to free speech in this country,” she said, “whether Orange Voldemort likes it or not.”
