Mentalist Oz Pearlman was a last-minute withdrawal from Monday evening’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Pearlman, who was hand-picked by President Donald Trump to perform magic tricks at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night, was previously scheduled as Kimmel’s guest. Kimmel had promoted Pearlman’s upcoming appearance on his show last week, according to CNN.
He will be replaced by podcaster Jon Lovett, who posted on X of his appearance, “For my first trick, I’m replacing the mentalist on @JimmyKimmelLive tonight Ta da.”
Lovett, who hosts Pod Save America, told the Daily Beast, “Sources say I was very funny…”
Pearlman’s sudden exit follows the president and Melania Trump calling for Kimmel to be fired over a “hateful” monologue.
Last Thursday, Kimmel parodied the dinner days before Saturday’s shooting. “Our first lady Melania is here. So beautiful, Mrs Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow,” the late-night host said.
The first lady called Kimmel a “coward” hiding behind ABC in a fiery X post.
“People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate,” Melania wrote.
She accused the TV host of “hateful and violent rhetoric” and said it was “time for ABC to take a stand” against the comedian, who has long clashed with her husband.
Donald Trump also took the chance to slam his nemesis on Monday, again calling for him to lose his job.
“I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel’s despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said but, this is something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC,” he wrote in an extensive Truth Social post.
The Daily Beast has contacted ABC and reps for Pearlman for comment.
Pearlman served as host at Saturday’s WHCD event, where 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen reportedly fired shots at the event after making it through security.
As the gunshots were fired, Pearlman was performing a magic trick on White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who was seated next to the president and the first lady.
The Trumps were rushed out of the room by Secret Service officers, while Allen appeared in court on Monday to face federal charges.
“We laid on the ground, I was a couple feet away from President Trump, eyes locked with one another,” Pearlman later wrote on Instagram. “It was likely the scariest moment of my life and will never forget it. So happy everyone is ok.”
The mentalist appeared on CNN on Monday, telling Anderson Cooper about being on the floor with the president of the United States seconds after an attempt on his life.
“I don‘t want to give any false ideas of what occurred because I was so panicked that... we didn‘t communicate,” Pearlman said. “People had told me he had tripped. It did not look like that to me.”
Kimmel was suspended for six days by ABC in September last year after the Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr reacted to jokes the late-night host made about the MAGA reaction to the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done,” Trump cheered in a late-night post.
Kimmel’s show was off the air for less than a week.
