Is Jimmy Kimmel Catholic? His Faith, Family Roots, and What He’s Actually Said

Jimmy Kimmel has never hidden where he comes from religiously, even though his politics and comedy often draw fire from conservative Christian commentators. The short answer to “what religion is Jimmy Kimmel” is that he was raised Roman Catholic in an Italian-American family, and as an adult he still identifies as a Christian, even as he openly departs from Catholic teaching on issues like same-sex marriage. Here is what is actually documented, drawn from his own on-air statements and mainstream news coverage, rather than assumption.

Italian Catholic Roots in Brooklyn and Las Vegas

Kimmel was born James Christian Kimmel in Brooklyn’s Mill Basin neighborhood, the oldest of three children of Joan (née Iacono) and James John Kimmel. His mother’s family traced back to Ischia, an island near Naples, and Kimmel has spoken about his Italian-American upbringing as central to his family identity. His father’s ancestry included German immigrants. When Kimmel was nine, the family relocated to Las Vegas, where his father took a corporate job, and Jimmy finished growing up in Nevada before starting his broadcasting career there as a teenager.

Multiple outlets, including the Catholic-focused sites Aleteia and ChurchPop, report that the Kimmel household was a practicing Catholic one: the children attended Catholic schools, Sunday Mass was expected, and Jimmy served as an altar boy. That combination of Italian heritage and parish-centered upbringing shows up repeatedly in how Kimmel describes his own background, including in a 2023 America Magazine feature grouping him with fellow Catholic-raised late-night hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and John Oliver.

His Own Comments on Faith

Kimmel rarely brings up religion unprompted, but he has addressed it directly when challenged. In 2017, after former Alabama judge Roy Moore accused him of mocking Christian values during a Twitter dispute, Kimmel responded on his show by listing his Catholic milestones. As reported by Aleteia and ChurchPop, he said he made his first holy communion, was confirmed, prays, supports his church, and has baptized his own children, adding that “Christian is actually my middle name,” a detail confirmed by his full legal name.

In the same 2023 America Magazine piece, Kimmel and Fallon both traced a brief, half-joking childhood interest in the priesthood back to their years as altar servers, with Kimmel quipping, “Don’t you think all altar boys have that thought at some point?” Kimmel has also interviewed a Catholic priest friend, Father Dave Dwyer, about staying connected to faith into adulthood. At the same time, he has been publicly vocal in supporting same-sex marriage and other positions that put him at odds with official Catholic doctrine, and he has not detailed how often he currently attends Mass or otherwise practices — that specific, up-to-date practice is not publicly confirmed, and this article won’t guess at it.

Comedy, Politics, and Religion

Kimmel’s faith background surfaces most often when his political commentary collides with religious rhetoric from critics. That dynamic was on display in September 2025, after ABC briefly pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following his remarks about conservative reactions to the killing of activist Charlie Kirk, a suspension that drew scrutiny from FCC Chair Brendan Carr. When Kimmel returned to air, he invoked Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk’s public forgiveness of the shooter, telling viewers, “If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do,” framing forgiveness as the example to follow.

That moment drew criticism from some conservative commentators, including a Daily Caller piece questioning the sincerity of Kimmel’s faith references, while Catholic and Christian outlets like Premier Christian News and Deacon Greg Kandra’s blog took the comment largely at face value given his documented Catholic upbringing. Kimmel has also used his monologues over the years to needle other public figures over political uses of Christianity, including a widely covered 2016 segment mocking then-Vice President Mike Pence’s remarks on faith. None of this amounts to a tidy label; Kimmel functions publicly as a culturally and personally Catholic-raised Christian who is comfortable citing his religious background while rejecting the idea that comedy and criticism of politicians are incompatible with it.

FAQ

Does Jimmy Kimmel still attend Catholic Mass regularly?

This is not publicly confirmed. Kimmel has said he “supports” his church and baptized his children, but he has not stated in interviews how often he currently attends Mass, so any specific claim about present-day churchgoing would be speculation.

Is “Christian” really Jimmy Kimmel’s middle name?

Yes. His full name is James Christian Kimmel, a detail he has referenced himself on air, including during his 2017 exchange defending his faith against Roy Moore.