David Letterman’s Reaction to Stephen Colbert’s ‘Sad’ Firing: CBS Didn’t Care About Press Freedom
According to CinemaDrame news agency, David Letterman, former host of The Late Show, reacted to the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s version of the program on CBS, calling the move “cowardly.”
The 78-year-old comedian hosted the show from 1993 to 2015 before Colbert replaced him. Last week, CBS announced it was canceling The Late Show to cut costs. However, this decision came just days after Colbert criticized Paramount’s settlement with Donald Trump over a 60 Minutes lawsuit, calling it a “big, fat bribe” to secure approval for the Paramount Global and Skydance Media merger.
In an interview with producers Barbara Gaines and Marie Barkley on YouTube, Letterman said, “Ten years ago, I stepped down and then Stephen Colbert came along and quickly established himself as a sharp, insightful, and witty political satirist. He often targeted the current administration.”
Letterman continued, “Given the show’s entertainment limits, he built a strong audience and people… always expected political satire from Stephen Colbert. He did very well for ten years and, in my view, became an icon of the network.”
He concluded that Colbert’s firing was to secure the $8 billion merger deal between Skydance and Paramount and to appease the president. Trump had accused 60 Minutes of editing an interview with Kamala Harris in 2024 to help his campaign but settled with Paramount and CBS for $16 million.
Letterman added that CBS did not treat one of its iconic figures with respect: “CBS said, ‘Okay kids, here’s the plan. Not only do we get rid of this man [Colbert], but also the show, so you don’t have to worry about his replacement.’”
Letterman called Colbert’s dismissal “sad” and said the move signified CBS’s disregard for press freedom: “It’s pure cowardice. One day, if not today, the CBS executives who caused and managed this will feel ashamed because it was a cowardly act.”
