While we’ve yet to really see adequate reparations for the MAGA crowd who instigated the January 6th riot at the US Capitol, actor Jay Johnston is facing some consequences. The comedian, known for his roles in films like Anchorman and TV shows like Arrested Development, has reportedly been booted from his role on Fox’s beloved adult animated series Bob’s Burgers after internet sleuths identified him in FBI footage of the attempted coup early this year.
Since its first season, Johnston had voiced the recurring Bob’s Burgers character Jimmy Pesto Sr., the owner of Jimmy Pesto’s Pizzeria who often butts heads with Bob and the Belcher family. As The Daily Beast points out, Johnston made his last Bob’s Burgers appearance in the Season 11 episode “The Bridge Over Troubled Rudy,” which aired on May 2nd, 2021. Since then, Pesto has been noticeably absent from the show, and sources close to the show confirmed to The Daily Beast that Johnston is no longer part of the cast.
Johnston has never publicly confirmed his participation in the January 6th insurrection. However, several of his colleagues, including Bob’s Burgers writer Tim Heidecker, conceded that he was in attendance. In a since deleted social media post, Heidecker said that he “fully confirmed through reliable sources” that “it’s Jay” in the photograph. Meanwhile, Cassandra Church, an actor who worked with Johnston on the comedy podcast Harmontown, tweeted, “I’m no detective, but I do know Jay. He said he was there. And that’s him in the picture. So…”
Both Johnston and Fox declined to comment on his potential firing from Bob’s Burgers, and there’s no word yet on whether or not Jimmy will be recast.
Johnston joins musicians Ariel Pink, John Maus, and Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer as pop culture figures identified at the Capitol riots. Meanwhile, things appear to be smooth sailing for the rest of the Bob’s Burgers team, as the series has been renewed through Season 13.
The #FBI is still seeking information on people who took part in the violence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. If you know this individual, visit https://t.co/iL7sD5efWD. Refer to photo 247 in your tip. pic.twitter.com/CetMHzU190
— FBI (@FBI) March 4, 2021
