AceShowbiz - Jimmy Kimmel endured a challenging week marked by controversy and political tension yet emerged with his show and reputation intact. The ABC host faced public pressure after making a joke about an “expectant widow” following the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD) shooting. This led to demands from Donald and Melania Trump for ABC to cancel his program, alongside an FCC review of ABC’s broadcast licenses that many viewed as suspiciously timed.

The newly appointed Disney CEO, Josh D’Amaro, seemingly chose to stand firm amid the turmoil, opting to support the network’s late-night anchor rather than distance the company from the controversy. Kimmel’s response was a deft display of resilience and wit. His Monday monologue carried a confident, defiant tone, balancing sensitivity around the tragic incident with humor, which many found impressive given the circumstances.

One particularly skillful move was his description of the contentious joke as a “light roast,” framing it casually as if ordering coffee, which helped to downplay the backlash. There was also a somewhat cryptic apology regarding the WHCD audience’s experience, which some speculate was a compromise with ABC executives—acknowledging the audience’s feelings without apologizing for the joke itself. Ultimately, Kimmel maintained both his dignity and the integrity of his show despite intense scrutiny.

It’s important to note the broader context: Donald Trump has long sought to have Kimmel removed from the airwaves. The host was suspended only seven months earlier after joking about a political figure’s assassination. While some defend such jokes as First Amendment rights or accuse critics of bad faith, the reality remains that poking fun at right-wing leaders’ mortality is a risky move, especially for a Disney-affiliated late-night host navigating a politically charged environment.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the entertainment spectrum, Baby Yoda and the Disney+ Star Wars franchise experienced a less triumphant moment. The Mandalorian and its beloved character Grogu have recently struggled to maintain the same excitement levels they once commanded. The upcoming Star Wars movie, the first in seven years, has underwhelmed in early tracking data, failing to crack Fandango’s annual poll of the 10 most anticipated summer films among 6,000 moviegoers.

A clip released on Kimmel’s show last week, intended as promotional material, was instead ridiculed for its awkward tone reminiscent of the unpopular Book of Boba Fett series. The clip also revealed Disney’s strategic pivot to focus on families and children rather than the franchise’s aging fanbase, who often express dissatisfaction if a new Star Wars product doesn’t evoke the nostalgia of their youth.

The film’s initial box office projections are around $80 million for its four-day Memorial Day weekend debut. While some analysts see this number as decent, it falls short compared to Disney’s previous lowest-performing Star Wars film, Solo. The underperformance of Solo had once cast doubt on the franchise’s future, but it also led to the creation of The Mandalorian, effectively revitalizing the Star Wars universe on Disney’s streaming platform.

Disney is expected to emphasize that the new film cost an estimated $165 million, reportedly less than past Star Wars productions, and highlight that this is a strong opening for a movie based on a TV show. They will also point out that the film stars lesser-known characters, much like how Rogue One featured Jyn Erso, who was not a household name at the time of release.

Looking ahead, the film’s marketing campaign is poised to intensify dramatically starting May 4, widely known as Star Wars Day. For the next three weeks, audiences will be saturated with Baby Yoda imagery across all media platforms. The film’s final trailer, filled with John Williams’ iconic original trilogy theme music, aims to remind viewers that despite the new approach, this is still a bona fide Star Wars story, albeit one that should not be directly compared to the classic saga.

On a more positive note for Disney, Meryl Streep has been enjoying a successful promotional run for The Devil Wears Prada 2. The studio’s marketing efforts have been praised as exemplary, with Streep showcasing 25 different outfits during her global press tour, a feat even her character Miranda Priestly would admire. She also graced the cover of Vogue alongside Anna Wintour, further boosting the film’s visibility.

Interestingly, Streep initially declined the role to negotiate for double the pay. She recently shared with Today that this was a valuable lesson in self-advocacy: “It took me this long to understand that I could do that ... They needed me, I felt.” The film is projected to open to $175 million worldwide and holds the distinction of being the first female-led movie to open the summer box office, a season typically dominated by superhero blockbusters. While critical reviews have been somewhat lukewarm, the strong fan support is expected to carry it to commercial success.

In contrast, another entertainment property faced a major setback. Bravo experienced its first-ever leak from one of its reunion shows when unauthorized audio from the anticipated Summer House Season 10 reunion surfaced on TikTok.