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TORONTO — Allison Russell says the swift public outcry to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension has given her hope that people will continue to fight for free speech.
The Montreal folk singer and songwriter, who’s now based in Nashville, says the response in the days after Disney-owned ABC suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” proved that collective action can deliver results.
She pointed to the people who organized to cancel their Disney Plus and Hulu subscriptions, in a symbolic message to Disney, as one example of how a united front can push back “against that kind of fascism and muzzling of free speech.”
“We have a great deal of collective power,” she said on the red carpet at the SOCAN Awards on Monday.
“It’s when we capitulate before we’ve even begun to fight, non-violently, that the fascists win.”
The Grammy-winning musician says Kimmel holds a special place for her. His late-night show was the first to invite her to perform music from her 2021 solo project “Outside Child,” alongside her ensemble the Rainbow Coalition.
Kimmel was abruptly taken off the air in mid-September over comments he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The decision triggered a widespread discussion about freedom of speech and U.S. President Donald Trump’s ability to police the words of journalists and comics.
His show is now back on TV stations across the U.S. and Canada.
Russell was one of the performers at the SOCAN Awards where she paid tribute to her friend and mentor Joni Mitchell. The 81-year-old folk legend received this year’s cultural impact award for her classic “Both Sides, Now,” but did not attend the Toronto event.
Besides her music, which includes studio collaborations with Hozier and Annie Lennox, Russell has long been a free speech advocate, speaking out on social media about political issues on both sides of the border.
She recently added her name to Music Draws the Line, an open letter signed by more than 300 musicians and artists calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to reverse course on what they describe as damaging corporate-led policy, military expansion and climate neglect.
Asked whether she’s concerned about facing consequences for being outspoken about politics, particularly in the U.S., Russell said it didn’t faze her.
“I’m not standing on the Selma bridge taking blows; I haven’t been imprisoned; I haven’t had my green card revoked,” she said.
“Those things might happen, and if they do happen, I’m going to ground myself in the teachings of the ones who came before us, like James Baldwin, Maya Angelou (and) Sister Rosa Parks, of non-violent resistance to authoritarianism, injustice and bigotry.”
“In these times when there is fear about speaking truth, we have to speak truth even more consistently, intentionally and loudly,” she added.
“I don’t feel scared. I feel galvanized.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2025.
David Friend, The Canadian Press
