Mentalist Oz Pearlman dropped out of his planned appearance on the Monday, April 27, episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! following the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting.
Deadline reported on Monday that Pearlman “backed out of the appearance” and was replaced by comedian Jon Lovett.
Us Weekly has reached out to Pearlman for comment.
Pearlman, 43, was one of the attendees at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 25, when gunfire broke out at the annual event.
“I was performing right then for the president, the press secretary and the first lady,” the magician recalled during a Sunday, April 26, appearance on CNN’s State of the Union. “It [was] kind of a pivotal moment in the trick where you’re just about to do the reveal … and we hear commotion.”
“I see everyone swarming one table,” Pearlman said. “I didn’t hear any shots or see what looked like a shooter. I thought there was about to be a bomb. I really, very much thought, ‘Oh my god, it’s about to explode,’ because of the way it was being approached.”
Last week, Kimmel spoofed the annual political event on the Thursday, April 23, episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
“Our first lady is here. Mrs. Trump … you have a glow like an expectant widow,” Kimmel said in the bit. “By the way, in the unfortunate event that our president has a medical emergency tonight, do we have a doctor in the house — oh, I’m sorry. I mean, do we have a Jesus in the house? I always confuse them, too.”
Days after the joke aired, gunfire erupted at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday. President Donald Trump, wife Melania Trump and additional administration officials were escorted out of the ballroom at the Washington Hilton hotel. A Secret Service agent was caught in the crossfire and shot and transported to the hospital. The Secret Service member is expected to make a full recovery. No one else was injured.
The suspected shooter was later identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, an engineer and part-time teacher from Torrance, California. He was allegedly armed with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives, per authorities. The suspect appeared in court on Monday, April 27, and was charged with three criminal counts, including attempting to assassinate the president.
Two days after the incident, Donald, 79, slammed Kimmel’s joke and called for his immediate termination.
“Wow, Jimmy Kimmel, who is in no way funny as attested to by his terrible Television Ratings, made a statement on his show that is really shocking,” Donald shared via his Truth Social platform on Monday. “He showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, like they were actually sitting in his studio, listening to him speak, which they weren’t, and never would be. He then stated, ‘Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.’”
The president continued, “A day later a lunatic tried entering the ballroom of the White House Correspondents Dinner, loaded up with a shotgun, handgun, and many knives. He was there for a very obvious and sinister reason. 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Melania, 56, also reacted to Kimmel’s joke in a statement shared via X on Monday, “Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn’t comedy — his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America. People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate.”
The first lady continued, “A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him. Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community?”
Donald and Kimmel have had a contentious relationship over the years. The late night host has frequently joked about Donald since he took office. Donald has been critical of Kimmel for his countless jokes.
Last year, Donald supported ABC’s decision to temporarily suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! in September 2025 following controversial jokes about Charlie Kirk‘s death. After coming back on air from a suspension period, Kimmel has stood by his decision to address politics on his show.
“To me, it just seems obvious and unavoidable, and I just can’t imagine on those nights talking about anything other than what we are talking about,” Kimmel said on an April episode of the “IMO With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson” podcast. “I give a lot of credit to my colleagues for doing the same thing.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs on ABC every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. ET.
