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<\/p>\nLate night television host Stephen Colbert is opening up about the moment he learned CBS was ending The Late Show after more than a decade on air just after he took jabs at Trump<\/p>\n
Stephen Colbert revealed the moment he knew his show was canceled<\/p>\n
Stephen Colbert is sharing new details about the moment he found out The Late Show was coming to an end, and according to the longtime host, the news completely caught him off guard.<\/p>\n
Colbert<\/a>, 61, who took over CBS<\/a>\u2019 late-night franchise in 2015 after David Letterman\u2019s retirement, revealed that his first reaction to hearing the show had been canceled was a simple eight words. The comedian and host recalled learning the news during a conversation with his manager, James \u201cBabydoll\u201d Dixon, who rarely visits him in person.<\/p>\n \u201cJames never visits in person, and they\u2019re like, \u2018James wants to talk to you,\u2019\u201d Colbert explained. \u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018He\u2019s here? In person? What\u2019s going on?\u2019 And he says, \u2018This is going to be the last season.\u2019\u201d His revelation comes after Letterman branded CBS ‘lying weasels’ over their excuse for canceling The Late Show.<\/a><\/p>\n READ MORE: Donald Trump ‘humiliated’ by wife Melania over ‘semi-tragic’ moment<\/a>READ MORE: Queen Camilla replaces Melania Trump’s $40,700 gift after White House visit<\/a><\/p>\n Colbert said the announcement immediately stunned him. He said that he answered in eight words: “Really? Huh? Well, this comes as a surprise.”<\/p>\n According to Colbert, Dixon told him the network\u2019s reasoning was financial. \u201cAnd he goes, \u2018I can imagine so. They said it\u2019s not making any money,\u2019\u201d Colbert told The Hollywood Reporter.<\/a><\/p>\n David Letterman slammed CBS over cancelation excuse<\/p>\n Despite the shock, the late-night host said he understood the business side of the decision.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018OK. I mean, it\u2019s their business,\u2019\u201d Colbert explained. \u201cI\u2019m a company man, and I understand that people are here to make the green stuff. We\u2019re not here to do freeform polyrhythmic jazz poetry. We\u2019re here to sell some Breathe Right strips, and I have no qualms about that.\u201d<\/p>\n Colbert also made clear that he doesn\u2019t hold resentment toward CBS, describing the network as supportive throughout his tenure. \u201cAnd they\u2019ve been great partners,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Still, Colbert admitted he struggled to understand why the cancellation happened so soon after he had signed a new deal with the network.<\/p>\n Stephen Colbert didn’t shy away from sharing his opinions despite the backlash(Image: CBS)<\/p>\n \u201cBut I went, \u2018I don\u2019t understand. It hasn\u2019t been two years since I signed my last contract, and they were feverish to lock me down,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cIt was the best negotiation we\u2019ve ever had. I only do 160 shows now, all that kind of stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that Dixon even offered to let him review the financial reasoning behind the decision, though Colbert declined.<\/p>\n \u201cBaby said, \u2018They say they could show me the numbers if we want,\u2019 but I\u2019m not going to ask them to open books,\u201d Colbert explained. \u201cI\u2019m not here to talk anybody into me.\u201d<\/p>\n CBS previously said the cancellation was \u201cpurely a financial decision,\u201d though the move raised questions at the time because it came during Paramount\u2019s multibillion-dollar merger with Skydance, which required approval from the Trump administration.<\/p>\n CBS denied canceling Colbert for political reasons, despite calls from Trump for his removal(Image: Anadolu, Anadolu via Getty Images)<\/p>\n The decision also followed Paramount agreeing to pay Donald Trump<\/a> $16 million to settle a lawsuit tied to a 60 Minutes interview.<\/p>\n Since announcing the show\u2019s ending last summer, Colbert has continued to openly criticize both Trump and his own network during his monologues. He has also joked publicly about reports claiming The Late Show was losing tens of millions of dollars annually.<\/p>\n Even with the late-night chapter ending, Colbert has been involved in co-writing a project connected to The Lord of the Rings film franchise, which he described as a longtime dream. He also hinted that he could eventually create another show. \u201cGot to stay in front of the lens, baby,\u201d he joked.<\/p>\n For all the latest news straight to your inbox, sign up for our FREE newsletters here<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"CBS\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_GettyImages-1795095228.jpg\")
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