Stephen Colbert is getting support from his fans and peers following the news that his beloved Late Show is being scrapped.
On the July 14 episode of his famed late-night talk show, Colbert shamed Paramount for agreeing to a $16-million settlement in their 2024 lawsuit from Donald Trump, who accused CBS (which is owned by Paramount) of editing an interview with Kamala Harris—then his rival for the presidency—to portray her in a more favorable light. Originally, Paramount’s legal team wrote that the suit was “an affront to the First Amendment and is without basis in law or fact;” but eventually, they settled with Trump, adding fuel to the MAGA leader’s ongoing attach against the media.
On air, Colbert called the move a “big, fat bribe.” A day later, Skydance Media CEO David Ellison met with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) leaders to discuss Skydance’s proposed merger with Paramount. Two days after that, Paramount announced that they would be cutting Colbert’s show, and some days after that, the FCC approved Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount.
While Paramount has insisted that canceling The Late Show With Stephen Colbert was “purely a financial decision,” many in the media space—including fellow show hosts—as well as celebrities and fans of the show, simply don’t buy it, and have rallied around Colbert to speak out on the snub.
Late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Jon Stewart, and John Oliver attended Colbert’s show last Monday to show their support. Adam Sandler, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Andy Cohen, and Anderson Cooper were also there, and a crowd of protesters gathered outside the Ed Sullivan Theater (where The Late Show films) to stand against Paramount’s decision.
Other notable names who have criticized the cancelation of Colbert’s show include iconic former show host David Letterman, Michael Schur, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Andy Richter.
Last week, The Bear star Molly Gordon, made an appearance on Colbert’s show while wearing a white T-shirt that read “I [heart] The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.” And Colbert’s former boss Jon Stewart, blasted a clear message for his bosses, “Go fuck yourself,” while on the Paramount-owned Daily Show.
In Colbert’s words, “the gloves are off.”
A petition to save the show, with more than 250,000 signatures, was delivered to Paramount. But as of now, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will still come to an end in May 2026.
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