Jimmy Kimmel and Spencer Pratt have found themselves in a headline-grabbing feud after remarks made on Kimmel’s late-night show quickly turned personal.
The television host mocked the former reality star’s run for Los Angeles mayor, and Pratt responded [1] by resurfacing an old controversy from Kimmel’s entertainment past.
During a recent episode, Kimmel took aim at Pratt’s political ambitions, joking about the candidate’s chances and his previous reality television persona.
“It could take a while for Democrats here in Los Angeles to figure out which of their friends secretly voted for Spencer Pratt,” he said, while commenting on the city’s slow vote counting process.
He continued, “Barring a late ballot buzzer-beater, it appears Mayor Karen Bass will advance to a runoff against the former reality show villain.”
Kimmel’s string of jokes extended into sharper territory when he added, “Sixty percent of the vote has been counted. If that holds, it means in November Los Angelenos are going to have to choose between a woman named Karen and a man who is one.”
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The remarks drew criticism from Pratt’s supporters, and the candidate himself did not hold back in his response.
Shortly after the broadcast, Pratt posted a screencap from an infamous skit in which Kimmel appeared in blackface during a segment of “The Man Show.”
The image referenced Kimmel’s early 2000s impersonation of former NBA player Karl Malone.
https://t.co/opIwzILi4s [2] pic.twitter.com/mYgcpGSpca [3]
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) June 5, 2026 [4]
That sketch has followed Kimmel for years and remains one of his most widely condemned comedic moments.
Pratt’s decision to share the image appeared to be a direct attempt to remind audiences of Kimmel’s controversial past.
Kimmel has previously addressed and apologized for the segment. In a statement issued to Fox News, the host explained that his intention at the time had been to perform a celebrity impression rather than to offend.
“We hired makeup artists to make me look as much like Karl Malone as possible,” Kimmel said.
“I never considered that this might be seen as anything other than an imitation of a fellow human being, one that had no more to do with Karl’s skin color than it did his bulging muscles and bald head.”
He went on to acknowledge the lingering criticism, adding that many of his old skits now make him uncomfortable.
“I’ve done dozens of impressions of famous people, including Snoop Dogg, Oprah, Eminem, Dick Vitale, Rosie, and many others. In each case, I thought of them as impersonations of celebrities and nothing more. Looking back, many of these sketches are embarrassing, and it is frustrating that these thoughtless moments have become a weapon used by some to diminish my criticisms of social and other injustices.”