'Lying weasels': David Letterman slams CBS over canceling Colbert's show
What's the story
In a recent interview, legendary talk show host David Letterman slammed CBS for canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He called the network "lying weasels," saying he didn't believe their explanation that the decision was purely financial, but related to CBS and Paramount's merger with Skydance Media. "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...When will the ink on the check dry?'"
Show cancellation
'I'm going to go on record as saying: They're lying'
"I'm just going to go on record as saying: They're lying," Letterman added. He told The New York Times that he was in "disbelief" when he learned about the cancellation of Colbert's show. Letterman noted that CBS doesn't "share the books" with him but speculated that "All of television seems to have been nicked by digital communication and streaming platforms and on and on." However, he questioned, "What about the humanity for Stephen and (his fans)?"
CBS response
CBS responds to Letterman's comments
In response to Letterman's comments, a CBS spokesperson told PEOPLE the cancellation was "unequivocally a financial decision." When the move was first announced in July 2025, CBS told PEOPLE it had nothing to do with the show's performance or other matters at Paramount. The statement read, "Our admiration, affection, and respect for the talents of Stephen Colbert and his incredible team made this agonizing decision even more difficult."
Support for Colbert
Colbert's last show set for May 21
The former Late Show host had also expressed his support for Colbert during the announcement. He said, "To hell with CBS. To hell with Skydance. To hell with the Winslow twins or whoever the hell these guys are." The final episode of The Late Show will air on May 21. It will be replaced by Byron Allen's comedy talk show Comics Unleashed starting May 22.