Czech-Icelandic musician Markéta Irglová was scheduled to perform this week on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with her band The Swell Season, but the appearance was canceled after ABC pulled the show from its schedule.
Irglová, who is currently touring the United States with longtime collaborator Glen Hansard, said she had just arrived in Los Angeles to prepare for a concert at The Greek Theatre when she received word that the television spot would not go ahead.
“We were supposed to have a day off in L.A. and then the next day perform one of our songs on Kimmel,” she told RÚV. “Instead, we got a message that our performance was canceled.”
Despite the setback, she said many Americans have expressed support on social media, with most expressing shock at the state of free expression in their own country. “There were far more people saying, ‘We can’t believe what’s happening here” she said.
The cancellation comes as U.S. late-night television faces upheaval. ABC has ended Jimmy Kimmel Live! while CBS recently announced the end of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Both networks have settled lawsuits brought by the President.
