Fallon\u2019s decision not to compete with the last-ever episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert <\/a>comes a day after Kimmel announced Monday that he would air a repeat episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! \u201cout of deference to Colbert\u2019s sendoff.\u201d<\/p>\n The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon will pick up with a new episode Friday, May 22, with guest appearances from Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal, alongside musical guest Maluma. <\/p>\n First reported by LateNighter, Kimmel\u2019s decision has some precedence as he previously chose not to take the air in 2015 opposite David Letterman\u2019s final show as host of The Late Show.<\/a><\/p>\n It was announced last July that CBS would be canceling the long-running Late Show in what the network described as \u201cfinancial decision.\u201d <\/p>\n On Monday\u2019s Late Show, Colbert welcomed Kimmel, Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Meyers for a heartwarming reunion filled with laughter and a special tribute to Colbert\u2019s tenure hosting the beloved franchise. <\/p>\n In the months since the cancellation, Colbert has repeatedly taken aim at CBS and its parent company, Paramount Skydance. In one episode, Colbert took a pointed shot at his network\u2019s leadership while also mocking Donald Trump over the so-called Board of Peace\u2019s billion-dollar membership fee, quipping that CBS paid \u201cjust $16 million\u201d to \u201cobey\u201d the president.<\/p>\n Paramount decided to cancel Colbert\u2019s show<\/a> just days before the Trump administration approved the company\u2019s merger with David Ellison\u2019s Skydance. Since then, Colbert has spent time zinging his corporate bosses<\/a> on his way out the door<\/a>.<\/p>\n The host, who has long been a Trump antagonist, was highly critical<\/a> of the Paramount settlement with the president immediately after it was announced in July<\/a>, calling it \u201cbig, fat bribe\u201d and noting that legal experts called Trump\u2019s lawsuit frivolous and without merit.<\/p>\n Days later, CBS revealed that it was canceling the Late Show and Colbert would be leaving the network in May \u2013 something that the president had repeatedly called for over the years.<\/p>\n While the network said the decision was purely a financial one due to declining ad revenues for late-night television, CBS staffers claimed it was a continuation of the \u201cTrump shakedown\u201d<\/a> that began with the settlement.<\/p>\n After departing late night, Colbert\u2019s next role will see him write a new Lord of the Rings film.<\/a><\/p>\n It was Peter Jackson who shared the surprise news in March with a video<\/a> in which he and Colbert announced the project, currently titled The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past.<\/p>\n![\"Stephen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-1176443837-(1).jpg\")
Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel onstage together during the Emmy Awards in 2019 (Getty)<\/p>\n