Chuck Norris Left Out of 2026 Emmys In Memoriam as Breitbart Claims ‘Blacklisting’; Fans Also Flag Nicholas Brendon, Patrick Muldoon

Late ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ star Chuck Norris was left out of the televised In Memoriam segment at this year’s primetime Emmy Awards, a snub that conservative outlet Breitbart is calling an act of political blacklisting against a Christian, conservative, Trump-supporting performer.

In a column published by Breitbart, writer John Nolte argued that the omission of Norris — described as one of the most successful television stars of his era — was not an oversight but a deliberate decision by an industry that punishes those who hold the wrong political views.

Variety’s list of names fans flagged

According to the Breitbart column, which cites reporting from Variety, fans noticed that several prominent figures in television were left off the tribute after the show aired. Norris topped that list. Alongside him, viewers and commenters pointed to “Days of Our Lives” and “Starship Troopers” actor Patrick Muldoon, “The Gong Show” panelist Jaye P. Morgan, “The Ring” actress Daveigh Chase, and “30 Rock” performer Grizz Chapman.

Nicholas Brendon, best known as Xander on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” was also omitted from the on-screen montage. Breitbart noted that the ceremony had earlier aired a separate tribute to “Buffy,” acknowledging that it had been a “tough two years,” but Brendon’s name did not appear in the official In Memoriam roll.

The Breitbart column characterizes the annual In Memoriam segment, like the Oscars’ version, as increasingly used as a political cudgel — a way to enforce ideological conformity by deciding whose contributions deserve posthumous recognition and whose do not.

‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ and Norris’s TV legacy

Breitbart’s column goes to some length to argue that Norris’s television résumé outpaced nearly everyone in the room at the Emmys. “Walker, Texas Ranger” ran for nine seasons on CBS from 1993 to 2001, becoming a Saturday-night staple. Even with the traditionally lower Saturday-night audience, the show drew somewhere between 10 million and 20 million viewers across its run and climbed as high as No. 18 in the overall ratings.

All 203 episodes remain in syndication across cable and streaming, and the show’s cultural footprint — countless internet memes, references in “Family Guy,” and a CW reboot that aired from 2021 to 2024 — has persisted for close to 35 years. Breitbart credits Norris alone for that longevity.

According to the column, the name “Chuck Norris” was never uttered during the broadcast, despite the star power and sustained success he brought to the medium. It also points out that before “Walker,” Norris had already spent a decade as one of the biggest movie stars in the world.

Allegations of political blacklisting

Breitbart frames the omission as part of a broader pattern of animus toward conservatives in Hollywood, writing that the industry does not merely dislike Norris for his faith and politics but holds similar contempt for the audience that made him a star. The column calls the snub an act of “outright blacklisting driven by outright hate,” and criticizes the entertainment industry for simultaneously seeking tax breaks for productions it says the rest of the country is forced to subsidize.

The Network declined to comment in the Breitbart column, and there is no public statement from the Television Academy addressing why Norris or the other names were not included.

What is not yet known

Representatives for the Television Academy have not addressed the omissions publicly, and no explanation has been released about the selection process for this year’s In Memoriam segment. The Breitbart piece does not include a response from the Academy or from any Emmys producer, and it does not present evidence of a formal decision to exclude Norris beyond the fact that his name did not appear.

Fans on social media, per Variety’s report, raised the names of Brendon, Muldoon, Morgan, Chase, and Chapman in addition to Norris. Whether each was eligible under the Academy’s criteria — a requirement that honorees have worked in television and that families or estates grant permission — has not been publicly confirmed.

Breitbart’s closing language is unsparing: it says the entertainment industry “can wither and die for all I care,” describing it as “pure evil” with “nothing worth saving.”

The In Memoriam segment has become an annual flashpoint in recent years, with each broadcast drawing scrutiny over whose careers were honored and whose were not. This year’s edition is unlikely to break that pattern, particularly with Norris — a figure whose television fame and political profile have both been durable — at the center of the dispute.

Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/09/15/nolte-conservative-tv-icon-chuck-norris-blacklisted-emmy-in-memoriam-segment/