David Letterman is openly accusing CBS executives of being "lying weasels" over the abrupt cancellation of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," suggesting the network has not been honest about why it pulled the plug on its flagship late-night franchise.
According to Fox News, CBS announced last year that "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" would end on May 21, framing the move as "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night" as the company prepared for a major merger that would place CBS parent under new ownership. Yet the timing, coming just ahead of Skydance Medias acquisition of Paramount, has fueled speculation that the network was eager to avoid regulatory headaches and political friction, particularly with President Donald Trumps administration and the FCC, by sidelining a host whose politics often aligned with the progressive left.
Letterman, who handed the reins of "The Late Show" to Colbert in 2015, told The New York Times he was in "disbelief" when he learned the show was being canceled and made clear he does not buy the official explanation. While he conceded that CBS does not "share the books" with him, he insisted the network has not been forthright about its motives and hinted that corporate deal-making, not simple budget math, drove the decision.
"He was dumped because the people selling the network to Skydance said, Oh no, theres not going to be any trouble with that guy. Were going to take care of the show. Were just going to throw that into the deal. When will the ink on the check dry? Im just going to go on record as saying: Theyre lying," Letterman told the Times. "Let me just add one other thing," he continued. "Theyre lying weasels."
When asked for comment, CBS simply reiterated to the Times that the move was a financial call, sticking to its corporate script even as public skepticism grows. Skydance, the incoming power player in the deal, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, leaving unanswered whether political considerations or regulatory concerns factored into the late-night shake-up.
Letterman acknowledged that "all of television seems to have been nicked by digital communication and streaming platforms," and that "TV may be not the money machine it once was," but he argued that CBS still had room to stand by Colbert and the audience that remained. "On the other hand, 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, suggesting that corporate bean-counting had eclipsed any sense of loyalty or cultural stewardship.
Despite his sharp criticism, Letterman said he no longer feels a personal claim over the program that once defined his career. "Time has separated me from the genealogy of the show. On the other hand, if theres outrage to be directed at management, either real or imagined, Im all in. Lets go," he said. "Its like driving by your old neighborhood and realizing that where you used to live, theyre putting up an adult bookstore."
In a move that underscores how far traditional broadcast institutions have shifted toward low-risk, low-investment content, CBS will lease Colberts former time slot to Byron Allens "Comics Unleashed," effectively outsourcing the cost of programming. "They dont want to spend any money, so theyre going to make money," Letterman previously told Barbara Gaines, a former producer on his program. "They charge Byron Allen some reasonable price. He sells all the advertising for his Comics Unleashed, and itll be, I think, 90 minutes or two hours of comics talking about funny stuff."
For viewers who still value robust, personality-driven late-night television, the episode highlights a broader trend: legacy networks retreating from risk, hiding behind financial jargon, and reshaping their lineups in ways that conveniently sidestep potential clashes with regulators and a President who has never been shy about calling out media bias, while the creative voices who built those franchises are left to watch from the sidelines.
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