Jimmy Kimmel’s wife had some scathing words for President Donald Trump.

Speaking at Hollywood Reporter’s Women In Entertainment breakfast on Wednesday, Molly McNearney, who is also an executive producer of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” – reflected on the importance of “freedom of expression,” a principle he admitted he once “took for granted.”

She recalled the period in September when her husband’s show was taken off the air for comments about the alleged murderer of far-right podcaster Charlie Kirk. McNearney emphasized the consequences that followed.

“I watched a show and my co-workers, friends and a man I love were put on ‘indefinite suspension’ after our timid president called for his ouster and his [Federal Communications Commission] president to publicly threaten the company we work for,” McNearney said. “This is a fragile moment for freedom.”

Molly McNearney attends the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Breakfast on Wednesday in Beverly Hills, California.
Molly McNearney attends the Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Breakfast on Wednesday in Beverly Hills, California.

Michael Kovac via Getty Images

McNearney continued: “Freedom of speech is the foundation on which this great country was built. A freedom that great Americans like James Madison, Frederick Douglass, Alice Paul, and a group of other people I Googled last night fought very hard for us to have and maintain.”

Then he expanded his message.

“We lose our freedoms when we are afraid and when we are distracted,” he said. “Both of them have consumed me greatly. Fear is contagious, but the good news is that so is bravery.”

Jimmy Kimmel and McNearney attend the Hollywood Reporter's annual Women in Entertainment event at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Wednesday in Beverly Hills, California.
Jimmy Kimmel and McNearney attend the Hollywood Reporter’s annual Women in Entertainment event at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Wednesday in Beverly Hills, California.

Emma McIntyre via Getty Images

McNearney noted that she has seen her husband, his staff and other late-night hosts constantly hold those in power accountable, and do so without batting an eyelid.

“We must not be afraid to speak up and speak out to protect this country and all its people,” he added.

The executive producer also shared that her “husband and his workplace” have been “threatened by the president of the United States multiple times and by the propaganda machine that delights in deliberately misinterpreting” her words.

“I’m one of the lucky ones. You knocked us down and, with all of you, helped us get up,” she told the audience.

After a wave of public backlash, Kimmel returned to the air on September 23. Its program had been pulled the previous week, on September 17, after threats from the FCC.