Jimmy Kimmel's wife talks severing ties with family members who support Donald Trump

Jimmy Kimmel’s wife, Molly McNearney, opens up about how opposition to US President Donald Trump has put pressure on her relationships with family members who continue to support republicans.

McNearney, who is also the executive producer and co-head writer of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, got candid in a new episode of the We Can Do Hard Things podcast.

“I was upset when Trump was elected in 2016, but I understood it,” she stated. “This time, it’s different. It hurts me so much because of the personal relationship I now have where my husband is out there fighting this man. For me, them voting for Trump is them not voting for my husband and me and our family.”

She recalled her upbringing in a “very conservative, Republican” family in St. Louis and the changes in her outlook after moving away.

McNearney said that the conflict has had a negative effect on her personal bonds. “Unfortunately, I’ve lost relationships with people in my family because of it,” she revealed. “I feel like I’m in constant conflict and angry all the time, which isn’t healthy. When I see these terrible stories, I’m immediately mad at certain aunts, uncles, cousins who put him in power.”

She added that despite her wholehearted attempts at changing their minds, she has failed to reason with them. “I’ve sent many emails before elections saying, ‘I’m begging you, here are 10 reasons not to vote for this guy.’ Most ignored me, and a few responded with truly insane things. It’s definitely caused a strain.”

Kimmel and McNearney met on the set of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and got married in 2013. The pair shares two children, while Kimmel also has two children from his previous marriage.

Earlier this year, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was briefly suspended from ABC’s lineup after Kimmel's remarks about Charlie Kirk's assassination. The show later returned to air after much financial fallout and online backlash.

Dwelling on her strained family ties, McNearney revealed that she has struggled to accept the widening disconnect. “It feels silly to let politics get in the way,” she shared, “but to me, this isn’t politics. It’s values. And we’re just not aligned anymore.”