Jimmy Kimmel feared he would be charged with murder when Matt Damon began choking during a dinner at his house. The frightening episode, which lasted for roughly an hour and a half, left Kimmel deeply concerned about his friend’s survival and his own legal future. The incident unfolded recently during a gathering where Damon arrived hungry and quickly started eating pork ribs.
Kimmel recounted that Damon started choking on a pork rib, which became lodged in his throat for an extended period. Despite efforts to help, including attempting the Heimlich maneuver, the bone was situated too far down for it to be effective. Kimmel’s anxiety grew as he realized the gravity of the situation and feared,
“because if he dies in my house, I’m going to prison for the rest of my life,”
he told Damon’s brother who was present.
How Bread Played a Crucial Role in Saving Damon
After searching online for potential remedies, Kimmel and those around him found a surprising solution. They discovered that eating small pieces of bread could help the lodged rib move down into Damon’s stomach. This improvised method ultimately proved successful, preventing a tragic outcome. Reflecting on the ordeal, Kimmel said,
“I will never be able to explain this as anything other than a murder,”
highlighting how dire the moment felt.
Kimmel Addresses Stephen Colbert’s Show Cancellation and Budget Rumors
In the same interview with Variety, Kimmel expressed his frustration over reports that Stephen Colbert’s late-night program was losing $40 million annually. He dismissed those claims as
“beyond nonsensical,”
criticizing the purported insiders who focus only on advertising revenue while ignoring affiliate fees that contribute substantially to overall income.
Kimmel explained that affiliate fees often reach into the hundreds of millions or even billions, with a significant portion allocated to late-night shows. He stressed the media’s misunderstanding of television economics:
“It really is surprising how little the media seems to know about how the media works. There’s just not a snowball’s chance in hell that that’s anywhere near accurate.”
He recounted his own experience with similar claims about his show during its earlier years, when it was falsely reported that the program was not profitable despite larger viewership. Kimmel concluded,
“All I know is they keep paying us — and that’s kind of all you need to know.”
Context Around CBS’s Decision to End Colbert’s Show
Earlier in July, CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after 33 seasons, including the years David Letterman led the program. The network emphasized that the cancellation was motivated solely by financial considerations, without elaborating further.
This recent news adds tension to the late-night television landscape, with several hosts navigating uncertain futures amid shifting network priorities and budget challenges.
