NEWSDavid Letterman Slams CBS as 'Lying Weasels' Over Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' Cancelation
David Letterman blasted CBS over the cancelation.
May 8 2026, Published 9:31 a.m. ET
David Letterman is not mincing words when it comes to the end of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
The former host, who helmed the franchise for more than two decades, is publicly calling out CBS, and he’s not buying the network’s explanation.
Timing of Cancelation
David Letterman questioned the network’s financial explanation.
In an interview with The New York Times, Letterman blasted CBS owners as “lying weasels” over their claim that canceling The Late Show was purely a financial decision.
“He was dumped because the people selling the network to Skydance said, ‘Oh no, there’s not going to be any trouble with that guy. We’re going to take care of the show. We’re just going to throw that into the deal. When will the ink on the check dry’,” Letterman said.
Stephen Colbert’s exit fueled controversy.
“I’m just going to go on record as saying: They’re lying. Let me just add one other thing… They’re lying weasels.”
CBS has repeatedly denied that characterization. The network has maintained that the decision to cancel the long-running late-night staple, which is set to air its final episode on May 21, was “unequivocally a financial decision” tied to the broader decline of linear television.
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A Clash Over the Real Reason
Stephen Colbert’s exit fueled controversy.
Letterman insists there’s more to the story, pointing to the timing of the cancelation alongside Paramount’s merger with Skydance in 2025.
The deal placed David Ellison, son of billionaire Larry Ellison, at the helm of the newly combined company. Critics have questioned whether the cancelation was influenced by corporate strategy or political considerations, especially given Colbert’s outspoken criticism of President Donald Trump on air.
During a July 2025 monologue, Colbert himself called a separate $16 million settlement tied to a Trump lawsuit “completely without merit” and suggested it looked like “a big fat bribe,” as Paramount sought approval for the merger.
While CBS has firmly denied any connection between Colbert’s commentary and the show’s cancelation, Letterman remains unconvinced.
“I don’t think it was money,” he said in an interview last year with his former executive producer, Barbara Gaines. “I think it was all to make sure [they] were solid spending dad’s money.”
The End of an Era
David Letterman reflected on television’s changing era.
For Letterman, the issue is what’s been lost.
“They don’t share the books with me,” he said, acknowledging the shifting economics of television in the streaming era. “All of television seems to have been nicked by digital communication and streaming platforms and on and on.”
Still, he questioned whether finances alone justify ending a show that has long been a cultural fixture.
“What about the humanity for Stephen and the humanity of people who love him and the humanity for people who still enjoyed that 11:30 respite?” Letterman said.
He lamented what he sees as a broader transformation of the network he once called home, comparing it to “driving by your old neighborhood” and finding it unrecognizable.
