LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Molly McNearney, wife of television host Jimmy Kimmel, recently revealed the reason why the couple chose to share their son Billy’s health condition to the public.
In an interview with E! News Online, McNearney disclosed that she and her husband decided to expose their current personal ordeal in order to raise awareness about America’s current healthcare state. Kimmel shared their situation during his opening monologue in Jimmy Kimmel Live! back in May.
McNearney said that she had no idea what her husband would say that night because she did not receive a copy of his monologue before the show (which she usually does). She had emailed him to ask about it, but Kimmel simply responded for her to “just watch.”
It was far from a typical Jimmy Kimmel Live! opening as the studio audience immediately knew there was something wrong when Kimmel first stood in front of them.
Kimmel evidently tried hard to fight back the tears as he opened with an apology, admitting that he is trying not to get emotional. However, he advised the audience that his story has a happy ending to somehow alleviate the crowd’s obvious concern.
There were moments during the monologue where his voice got caught in his throat, as he attempted to explain what happened to his son. After a few minutes, Kimmel finished the story and went to tell perhaps the most controversial part of his monologue.
Kimmel told the studio audience and TV viewers that America should have a better healthcare system which would cater to everyone, regardless of the income or political affiliation. The statement resulted in numerous debates online. Understandably, not everyone is pleased with what he had said.
There has been an overwhelmingly positive response, but there’s also a few who “attacked” the couple on social media, saying that they deserve to go through it and they were “terrible people.”
Having a husband who is hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live!, McNearney personally received some backlash about having no rights to lecture them because they are a wealthy celebrity family.
McNearney admitted that she went on a Twitter hiatus because of it. Although nine out of 10 messages were positive, she said that one mean message would “shake” her, and so she completely avoided social media at that time.
McNearney then confessed that while she is not completely fond of everyone knowing her son’s condition, both she and Kimmel wanted to help other families who are in the same difficult situation. They have met several during their six-day stay at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).
Apparently, not all of those families can afford the kind of surgery their son had undergone without any health insurance.
McNearney said she is thankful that her family’s healthcare is “excellent,” but she is more concerned about other American families who would be denied by the same care that they have experienced.
Finally, McNearney confessed that if she and her husband would have to go through it all over again, she would still support the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host in trying to raise awareness on what is currently happening in America’s healthcare.
