In a moment that instantly went viral, late-night king Jimmy Kimmel choked up on air Monday night while revealing the news millions of fans never saw coming: at 57 years old, the comedian is officially a grandfather for the very first time.

The normally quick-witted host could barely get the words out. Holding a tiny pink onesie that read “I Love My Grandpa,” Kimmel told his stunned studio audience, “My daughter Jane… she had a little girl yesterday. Her name is Harlow June, and… guys, I’m a grandpa. I’m actually a grandpa.” His voice cracked, the crowd erupted, and for almost thirty seconds the man famous for roasting celebrities was just another new grandfather trying not to cry on national television.

The emotional reveal came during the monologue of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, when the host walked out holding what everyone assumed was another one of his prank props. Instead, he unfolded the onesie, turned it toward the camera, and lost it completely. “I swore I wouldn’t do this,” he laughed through tears, “but look at this thing! It’s so small! How does a human even fit in here?”

Jane Kimmel, 31, the eldest child from Jimmy’s first marriage to Gina Maddy, reportedly gave birth Sunday morning in Los Angeles to Harlow June, weighing 7 pounds, 2 ounces. The baby’s father is Jane’s husband of two years, entertainment marketing executive Kyle Newman. Sources close to the family say both mother and daughter are healthy and resting comfortably, while the new grandfather has already been caught sneaking extra hospital visits “just to hold her for five more minutes.”

Kimmel spent the rest of the monologue alternating between proud grandpa bragging and classic self-deprecating humor. “People keep asking if I’m going to be called ‘Grandpa’ or ‘Pop-Pop’ or something cool like ‘The Kimmelnator,’” he joked. “I told Jane whatever she wants, as long as it’s not Jimmy – because that would just be confusing when I’m yelling at myself in the mirror at 3 a.m. over diaper prices.”

He then showed the audience the first photo the public has seen of baby Harlow – a black-and-white shot of the newborn swaddled in a hospital blanket, tiny hand clutching what appears to be her grandfather’s finger. The crowd “aww’d” so loudly that Kimmel pretended to wipe tears with the onesie. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” he said. “Wait until your kid hands you one of these and tells you your new job title is ‘built-in babysitter.’”

The timing couldn’t be more surreal for fans who still think of Kimmel as the wild host of The Man Show two decades ago. Just last year he was joking on air about still getting carded at bars; now he’s stocking his dressing room with diapers and a noise machine shaped like a miniature Guillermo.

Longtime viewers know family moments hit Kimmel harder than most celebrities. Anyone who watched him fight back tears while talking about his son Billy’s open-heart surgeries knows the comedian doesn’t fake emotion. That’s why Monday’s breakdown felt so authentic – and why the clip racked up 25 million views in less than 24 hours.

Social media immediately exploded with reactions. “Jimmy Kimmel went from roasting Trump to holding a grandbaby and I’m not okay,” one fan wrote. Another posted side-by-side photos of Kimmel in 2003 chugging beer on The Man Show next to last night’s tearful reveal, captioning it “Character development they said couldn’t happen on television.”

Even rival late-night hosts couldn’t resist chiming in. Stephen Colbert tweeted a photoshopped image of himself knitting booties with the caption, “Welcome to the club, old man.” Jimmy Fallon posted an Instagram story of a comically oversized “World’s Best Grandpa” mug waiting on Kimmel’s desk at NBC – a prank war that’s apparently now extended into grandfatherhood.

Backstage sources say Kimmel spent most of Monday canceling interviews just to stay at the hospital longer. “He keeps saying he’s terrified he’s going to drop her, but he won’t put her down,” one staffer laughed. “We caught him practicing swaddling on a burrito from craft services. It did not go well.”

The new grandfather also revealed that his wife, Molly McNearney – who co-head writes the show – has already banned the phrase “back in my day” from their household. “She made me promise no stories about rotary phones or VHS tapes until the kid is at least five,” Kimmel sighed. “Apparently telling a newborn that YouTube didn’t exist when I was a kid counts as ‘emotional damage.’”

Perhaps the sweetest moment came at the end of the monologue, when Kimmel looked straight into the camera and addressed his new granddaughter directly: “Harlow June, your grandma Gina and I fought like crazy once upon a time, but look what we made – we made your mom, and now your mom made you. So whatever happens, remember you come from people who love you so much it’s stupid. Also, sorry in advance for all the embarrassing stories I’m definitely going to tell your prom date.”

As the audience gave him a standing ovation, Kimmel shrugged, half-laughing, half-crying: “I swear I had jokes prepared about airlines and politics tonight, but… who cares? My kid had a kid. Everything else can wait.”

And just like that, the man who built a career making America laugh at 11:35 p.m. spent the entire night making them cry – in the best possible way.

Welcome to the world, Harlow June. Your grandpa already has the monologue of a lifetime ready for your wedding.