The Feud Between George Santos And Jimmy Kimmel Explained
Jimmy Kimmel has not shied away from mocking George Santos on late night, even before the politician was ousted from Congress. During a "Jimmy Kimmel Live" episode that aired in March, the show ran a parody reelection commercial that mocked outlandish claims Santos had made in the past. "As the child of a mother who was Jewish and a father who was a velociraptor, I know all too well the challenges that are faced by everyday Americans," the faux-Santos said in the fake election video.
When the politician came under fire for allegedly misappropriating funds to make purchases such as OnlyFans memberships and botox, Kimmel turned up the heat. The show aired a snippet of Santos comparing himself to Mary Magdalene, and the host took shots. "Also because of the whole stealing credit card numbers to pay for OnlyFans thing," Kimmel said on the episode that aired November 27.
Soon after, Santos was officially removed from Congress and he pivoted by creating a Cameo account where he charged fans to make customized videos. People reportedly turned out in droves to request videos from the politician. "[He] is going to be an absolute whale," the platform's CEO, Steven Galanis, told Semafor on December 6. Besides making a profit, Santos had another motive. "To remind these a**holes who think they're holier-than-thou that they will be forgotten in history and I will live forever, period," he said. Santos had unknowingly given Kimmel more fuel for their feud.
George Santos takes Jimmy Kimmel to court
When Jimmy Kimmel learned that George Santos was on Cameo, the segment "Will George Say It?" was created. For the segment, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" staffers submitted ridiculous Cameo requests to the former congressman. On the December 7 episode of the show, the late night host aired several Cameos that Santos had unwittingly made for them, which included one about a fictitious woman and her dog. "Hey Brenda, I wanted to congratulate you on successfully cloning your beloved schnauzer, Adolf," Santos said in one custom-made clip.
News of his Cameos being used on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" made its way back to Santos, who fired back at Kimmel for using his footage. "I showed some of them on the air on Thursday, and now he's demanding $20,000 from me to be paid a commercial rate," the comedian said on the December 11 episode of the late night show. "Can you imagine if I get sued by George Santos for fraud? ... It would be like a dream come true," he joked.
Days later, that wish came to fruition as Santos took legal action. "We are writing to congratulate you — your 'dream' of being sued by Mr. Santos may indeed come true," his lawyer, Andrew Mancilla wrote on December 12, in a legal document obtained by the New York Post. "You should have obtained Mr. Santos' consent," the letter added. It appeared Santos' major issue was not being properly compensated, although the politician said he made a substantial sum soon after joining Cameo.
George Santos makes more on Cameo than in Congress
George Santos' policial reputation may have taken a hit after being removed from Congress, but his bank account did not. As mentioned, he wasted no time joining Cameo, and there was an immediate demand for his videos. "He is making big bucks on Cameo ... He took 140 orders yesterday at $599 per order," an insider told Page Six on December 10. As calculated by the outlet, that would mean Santos would make close to $84,000 after fulfilling those initial requests. In fact, Santos said making the videos was far more lucrative than his career as a politician. "I can tell you that by the end of this week — that is actually factual — I will have made more money in seven days than I would have made [in] an entire year in Congress," he said about his Cameo account while appearing on "The Point with Marcia Kramer," on December 10. It was the staffer of another politician, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who first told Santos that he could possibly make a killing on the platform. "He reached out and says, 'George, you have such a large personality, people love you. You should just open a Cameo,'" Santos recalled while talking to Marcia Kramer.
Another politician, Nebraska state Sen. Megan Hunt, was one of the first people to have a Cameo made by Santos. Hunt — who had her own issues with the press — shared the clip on X, formerly Twitter, on December 4. "The haters are gonna hate," Santos said in the Cameo.