Stephen Colbert insisted on announcing shock cancellation of ‘Late Show' — just hours after he learned about it himself
The late-night star was told by network brass late Wednesday night that his reported $15 million to $20 million contract would not get picked up and that they were going to pull the plug on the show, according to a well-placed source.
Colbert — who had returned from vacation two days earlier and blasted CBS-parent Paramount Global for settling a high-profile lawsuit with President Trump during his monologue — decided the next morning that he would waste no time in sharing the decision about his fate, the insider added.
Advertisement
'He wanted to tell the world,' the source said. 'CBS said OK. They taped with an audience and had to get the news out there before the audience or staff leaked it.'
4 Stephen Colbert insisted on telling the world that his bosses cancelled 'Late Show.'
AP
Colbert broke the news to the shocked studio audience at The Ed Sullivan Theater in New York's Midtown during taping at 5:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Advertisement
'It's not just the end of our show, but it's the end of 'The Late Show' on CBS. I'm not being replaced. This is all just going away,' Colbert said to a chorus of boos.
Less than two hours later, CBS sent out a press release that included the taped comments, which would air at 11:35 p.m. ET that night.
A rep for CBS confirmed the network worked with Colbert on rolling out the announcement.
4 Colbert's show was canceled days before he called CBS' settlement with Trump a
'bribe.'
csuarez
Advertisement
Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks, who oversees CBS, claimed it was 'purely a financial decision' to pull the plug on the late-night staple, first-launched by David Letterman in 1993. Colbert, who took over hosting duties a decade ago, will stay on the air until May of next year.
The Post reported that the show was losing betweek $40 million and $50 million annually, and that advertising had slumped along with overall viewership. Meanwhile, Puck News reported that the show's annual production cost was a sky-high $100 million.
A source familiar with the situation said that all the late-night shows have been battling paltry viewership and declining ratings, but that Colbert's show had higher costs, making it hard to justify continuing the program.
'If it was losing money like that, then it had to be canceled,' the source told The Post.
Advertisement
4 CBS said the show's cancellation was financial. According to reports, the show had a budget of $100 million and had been losing $40 million annually.
AP
However, several left-leaning pundits and lawmakers speculated that Colbert's steady diet of anti-Trump rhetoric, including last Monday over the Paramount settlement, played a pivotal role in killing the show.
'I believe this kind of complicated financial sentiment with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles. 'It's a 'big fat bribe,'' Colbert quipped.
'Because it all comes as Paramount's owners are trying to get the Trump administration to approve the sale of our network to a new owner, Skydance!'
The settlement of the lawsuit has been viewed as helping pave the way for Trump's Federal Communications Commission boss Bredndan Carr to greenlight Skydance Media's $8 billion acqusition of Paramount.
CBS has previously denied that ther settlement and merger talks are not connected.
4 Colbert's last show will be in May of next year.
CBS via Getty Images
'I've lost interest in extreme POVs on either end, but I see this as a chilling of free speech and the timing seems to send a strong message that this is cause and effect for what he said about the settlement,' a CBS staffer told Fox News.
Advertisement
'The CBS leadership could have cloaked it somehow, but made a decision not to.'
On Monday, 'Tonight Show' host Jimmy Fallon and other top comedians were expected to rally around Colbert and make a cameo on 'The Late Show,' The Post exclusively reported.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
18 minutes ago
- USA Today
This isn't the first time Trump's been parodied on 'South Park'
"South Park" has poked fun at President Donald Trump for years, dating back to before his first presidential term. Whether you're a long-time "South Park" fan or just have heard of the show in passing, you've probably heard about that episode by now. The Season 27 premiere of "South Park" started off with a fiery take on President Donald Trump's widespread attacks on media. The episode, which aired on Wednesday, July 23, shows a character with Trump's face on a cartoon body crawling into bed, naked, with Satan. The episode referenced Paramount's $16 million settlement with the president, Trump's claims that he'll receive $20 million worth of ads on the network and the cancellation of CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." In response to the episode, the White House told USA TODAY on Thursday, July 24, that the scene was a "desperate attempt for attention," calling the series a "fourth-rate" show. During a panel about the show at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday evening, July 24, "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone sarcastically said they were "terribly sorry" for the episode. Though Trump himself is not often depicted directly in the series, like the recent episode, Parker and Stone have used the popular character Mr. Garrison to represent the president through several seasons. In the series' 20th season, Mr. Garrison, who previously was an elementary school teacher, wins the 2016 U.S. presidential election against Hillary Clinton. Becoming President Garrison, the character continues to serve as a parody for Trump until 2020. President Garrison takes on Trump's swooped, blonde hair, sends out fiery social media posts and is obsessed with hosting Make America Great Again rallies. Here's a look at some of the key moments the president has been featured, or parodied, in "South Park." White House, 'South Park' trade barbs: What to know about the feud 'Where My Country Gone?' (Season 19, Episode 2) "Where My Country Gone" highlights the U.S.-Mexico border wall that Trump wished to build long before he took office in 2017. The episode aired in September 2015, ahead of the 2016 presidential election. In the episode, Mr. Garrison (not yet President Garrison) begins to promote the idea of building a wall along the U.S.-Canada border to eliminate the number of illegal Canadian immigrants entering the country. Can 'South Park' take on Trump 2.0? They're walking a tightrope 'Oh, Jeez' (Season 20, Episode 7) In "Oh, Jeez," Mr. Garrison is elected as president in the 2016 election. The character, renamed to President Garrison, continues to serve as a parody of Trump in the series until Season 24, when Trump lost the 2020 election. The episode aired on Nov. 9, 2016, the day after the election. 'Members Only' (Season 20, Episode 8) In the next episode, "Members Only," President Garrison begins his duties. He gets a Trump-style toupee, tours the Pentagon, is given a book of "military secrets" and gets in a heated phone call with Boris Johnson, the former prime minister of the United Kingdom. 'Put It Down' (Season 21, Episode 2) "Put It Down" highlights the United States' relationship with North Korea and references Trump's presence on social media. In the episode, which aired in September 2017, President Garrison posts aggressive tweets about North Korea, specifically about a nuclear missile fired by the country, which causes car accidents by drivers who are distracted by the posts. 'Doubling Down' (Season 21, Episode 7) "Doubling Down," references the decreasing popularity of Trump during his first presidential administration. The episode aired in November 2017. During the episode, President Garrison insults a world leader on the telephone in the White House while his advisers discuss low approval ratings. 'Splatty Tomato' (Season 21, Episode 10) "Splatty Tomato," again, parodies Trump's approval ratings following the 2016 election. The episode aired in December 2017. Throughout the episode, President Garrison pops up, scaring characters and asking them about his approval ratings. The characters compare Garrison sneak attacks to characters in "Stranger Things" and "IT." At one point, the character Tweek is riding his bicycle around town when he sees a collection of balloons that read, "Make America Great Again." The balloons then pop, revealing President Garrison, who asks Tweek about his ratings. 'The Pandemic Special' (Season 24, Episodes 1-2) "The Pandemic Special" was the premiere of Season 24. Airing in September 2020, the episodes satirize the United States' handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest amid the Black Lives Matter movement. President Garrison makes minor appearances in the episodes, notably using a flamethrower to encourage citizens to vote in the 2020 presidential election. 'Spring Break' (Season 26, Episode 6) "Spring Break" parodies the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. In the episode, Mr. Garrison, who freshly lost the 2020 presidential election, goes on a trip with his boyfriend to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The episode aired in March 2023. During the trip, Mr. Garrison starts to slink away to Make America Great Again rallies, despite his boyfriend's pleas not to. The episode ends with Mr. Garrison leading a chant that results in his supporters rushing the U.S. Capitol. Want to watch old episodes? Here's how Old and new episodes of "South Park" are now available for streaming on Paramount+ with a paid subscription. A Paramount+ Essential subscription is $7.99 a month with ads, and a Paramount+ Premium subscription is $12.99 a month without ads. Contributing: Brian Truitt and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@
Los Angeles Times
18 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
This week, we remember a few icons and visit our happy place with ‘Happy Gilmore 2'
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who is feeling nostalgic after several celebrity deaths. Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Ozzy Osbourne, Chuck Mangione and Hulk Hogan died this week, and if you were alive in the '80s, you're familiar with how each shaped music, television and pop culture. Warner is best remembered for playing Theodore 'Theo' Huxtable on 'The Cosby Show.' As the 'engaging, fun-loving teen who also got into a variety of scrapes in the Huxtable household,' Theo was a highlight of Warner's career, earning him an Emmy nomination in 1986, Times senior writer Greg Braxton wrote in an assessment of the actor's career. As for Osbourne, depending on the generation you grew up in, he was either one of your favorite heavy metal vocalists or one of your favorite TV dads (perhaps both). Beginning in 2002, the Prince of Darkness starred in MTV's 'The Osbournes,' a reality show that featured his family — wife Sharon, daughter Kelly and son Jack — and their everyday antics. It pioneered the celebrity reality TV genre, and Osbourne broke the TV dad mold by showing us that you can curse at your family with love. Meanwhile, Mangione, the prolific jazz musician, also left his mark on television after his hit song 'Feels So Good' became a running gag on the animated series 'King of the Hill' — he even lent his voice to the show for several episodes. (The revived series will return in August.) Then there's Hogan, who will be remembered both as a self-made celebrity and controversial figure. He helped lift professional wrestling to an entertainment juggernaut with 'Hulkamania,' but his use of a racial slur led to WWE terminating its 30-year association with him (though he was reinstated to their hall of fame in 2018). Later, like Osbourne, he would get his own reality show, VH1's 'Hogan Knows Best,' but it was canceled after a series of personal events, including Hogan's divorce and a car crash involving his son. It all might leave you feeling a bit wistful and wanting to watch clips of their memorable moments. But if you want to experience some nostalgia and go to a happy place, a comedic cultural touchstone has returned. In this week's Screen Gab, director Kyle Newacheck drops by to discuss Netflix's 'Happy Gilmore 2,' the sequel to the original comedy film that was nearly 30 years in the making. Must-read stories you might have missed Commentary: 'South Park' season opener puts Trump in bed with Satan and has Paramount on its knees: Comedy Central's animated series couldn't have returned at a better time. The season-opening episode is brutal in its treatment of Paramount, CBS and President Trump. 'Happy Gilmore' is back for another round, as are Adam Sandler and his longtime collaborator: Tim Herlihy has had a lasting and prolific creative partnership with Adam Sandler, the star of Netflix's 'Happy Gilmore 2,' which he co-wrote with the actor. De-aged stars, cloned voices, resuscitated dead icons: AI is changing the art and business of acting: AI isn't hovering at the edges of acting anymore. It has reshaped faces, smoothed dialogue and fast-tracked everything from dubbing to reshoots. And its reach is growing. Commentary: When 'Love Island,' 'Summer I Turned Pretty' have to tell fans to back off, should we cry or clap?: A billion-dollar industry is failing to protect the very people who built it in the first place. Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' (Paramount+) The Trekkiest of the 21st century 'Star Trek' series — its very name comes from the Capt. James T. Kirk (William Shatner) speech that runs over the titles of what is now officially called 'The Original Series' — is back for its third season, which began earlier this month. Set in the years before Kirk's starship embarked on its five-year mission, this Enterprise comes with charmingly conceived, wholly convincing younger versions of characters we know well — including Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and Scotty (Martin Quinn) — and fuller versions of characters who never got much space on 'TOS,' like Number One (Rebecca Romijn) and Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush). Above all, there are Anson Mount's heroically haired Capt. Pike, revived from the series' initial pilot, and Ethan Peck's Spock, note perfect and yet very much his own Vulcan. Like its model, it's episodic in nature, allowing for event-packed seasons that make it seem like it's been running longer than it has (in a good way), and though it can turn dark and philosophical, it has a lightness of heart that leaves ample room for comedy — and love. — Robert Lloyd 'The Gringo Hunters' (Netflix) I find no joy in watching folks from other countries rounded up by state-sponsored agents, only to be detained with no due process and deported back home, or to who knows where. It's performative political theater, not entertainment, despite what ride-along raid hosts Dr. Phil McGraw and Kristi Noem want us to believe. But when American criminals are rounded up in Mexico and deported back to the U.S. without so much as a trial? That's unique and juicy drama. This Netflix Spanish-language drama follows members of an elite Mexican police unit (played by Harold Torres, Mayra Hermosillo and Manuel Masalva) who specialize in capturing foreign fugitives — mostly Americans — hiding from the U.S. legal system in Mexico. They are, according to one agent, 'bad hombres.' Executive produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard and directed by Adrián Grünberg ('Bandidos') and Natalia Beristáin, the 12-episode series was inspired by a 2022 Washington Post article that chronicled the work of a plainclothes, largely secretive investigative team in Tijuana who relied on intelligence from U.S. agencies to catch suspects, but ultimately, the fugitives are deported for breaking Mexican immigration law. 'Gringo Hunters' delivers a compelling, often darkly humorous narrative that travels through the mansions, barrios, political corridors and bustling businesses in and around Tijuana and Ensenada. The series offers a refreshing spin on the investigative procedural and an alternate view of what it looks like when Americans are targeted for deportation by a country that doesn't want them. — Lorraine Ali A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they're working on — and what they're watching Kyle Newacheck is no stranger to directing, with a long résumé in TV ('What We Do in the Shadows,' 'Workaholics') and film ('Murder Mystery,' 'Game Over, Man!'), nor to working with Adam Sandler, who stars in their latest collaboration, 'Happy Gilmore 2.' At the time 'Happy Gilmore' was released in 1996, it was a modest success, but it gained a cult following thanks in part to repeated screenings on basic cable. Like the first, the sequel was co-written by Sandler and his longtime collaborator Tim Herlihy, and many of their iconic characters have returned too, like Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald), Virginia (Julie Bowen) and Hal (Ben Stiller). The film also nods to the iconic actors from the original who are no longer with us, including Carl Weathers, Joe Flaherty and Richard Kiel. Here, the director talks about what it is like joining the project and working with Sandler and other members of the cast. 'Happy Gilmore' is a comedic cornerstone from the '90s. Do you remember the first time you watched it? What was it like to come on board for the sequel? I was 12 years old in 1996 when the movie came out, so I think the visuals are imprinted on the back walls of my brain. It was one of the first movies where I realized that movies didn't just 'appear' — somehow people are making these funny movies. After I watched the film, I picked up my grandfather's video camera in 1997 and began shooting funny videos with my friends. 'Happy Gilmore' was a movie that made all of my friends laugh. I remember everyone from my school constantly quoting lines and laughing together. Joining the sequel was a surreal moment for me, to say the least. The sequel brought back a lot of the original cast members who were so memorable, like Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald and Ben Stiller, but you also see new faces in the 'Happy Gilmore' universe like Bad Bunny, John Daly and Benny Safdie. Do you have a favorite moment from filming or a scene where the OG cast and new cast came together? I loved filming the scene where Frank (Safdie) confronts Happy outside the batting cages. Benny and Adam have such great chemistry, and it was fun to see the two worlds collide. Happy stands against his Duster while Frank leans against his electric Rolls-Royce. The scene itself holds this cool subtext that, to me, reaches through the screen. Plus, Happy dissing Frank's breath is always gonna be funny to me. You've directed a couple of other films, but a lot of your work has been on television, including on 'Workaholics' and most recently 'What We Do in the Shadows.' How is directing a film like 'Happy Gilmore 2' different from television? My approach is similar in everything I make, attempting to get the truth of the scene while prioritizing humor. Sometimes I have a lot of resources to do that and sometimes I don't. What was it like getting notes from Adam Sandler on the film as you were working on it? I love working with Adam, a.k.a. Sandman. He is a true maverick. He is not only the star but also wrote the film as well as produced it. He likes to roll up his sleeves and do the work. Him and I share a deep love for the set, and we have a ton of fun out there and definitely challenge each other along the way. Collaboration is at the core of creation. What's your go-to comfort watch, the film or TV show you return to again and again? 'The Big Lebowski' [HBO Max]. Love it. It's another formative one for me — this time, I was in high school, about to graduate, and I played on the varsity bowling team. I love the characters/performances the most, and honestly assumed that most of it had to be off the cuff, but learn[ing] years later that the Coens [sibling directors Joel and Ethan Coen] had written every line the way it was performed made me fall in love with the screenplay. I love everything about that movie and can watch it over and over.
New York Post
18 minutes ago
- New York Post
Jennifer Love Hewitt slams Sarah Michelle Gellar feud rumors
She knows what they did last summer. As the modern classic 1997 horror movie 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' has gotten a 2025 revival (now in theaters), there have been rumors of a feud between original stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, 46, and Sarah Michelle Gellar, 48. 'I honestly remain still so confused by all of that stuff,' Hewitt exclusively told The Post. The 'Can't Hardly Wait' actress, who was talking to The Post to promote her ID series 'A Killer Among Friends (airing Mondays 10 p.m. on ID and streaming on HBO Max), added, 'I just feel like we're in a business where they always want women to have a problem with each other.' 11 Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jennifer Love Hewitt in 1998. Bei/Shutterstock 11 Jennifer Love Hewitt at the premiere of 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' in LA on July 14, 2025. Sony Pictures via Getty Images 11 Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe. Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Freddie Prinze Jr in 1997's 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' Mandalay Ent/Kobal/Shutterstock 'Nobody asked how often Freddie and Ryan have seen each other since the original movie,' she added, referring to Freddie Prinze Jr. 48, and Ryan Phillippe, 50. The rumors of bad blood between Gellar and Hewitt started after the pair didn't pose together for pictures on the red carpet of the sequel's premiere on July 14. Hewitt told The Post that feud rumors, 'seems to be things that they do to women in particular, and it's not necessary.' 'I have absolutely zero beef with Sarah at all,' she went on. 'In fact, I applaud her for being a long-standing badass career woman, a mom, wife – all the things that I am, that we have in common.' 11 Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Ryan Phillippe in 1997's 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 11 Jennifer Love Hewitt in the 2025 horror flick 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 11 Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt in 1997's 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection The '9-1-1' actress shares three kids with her husband, actor Brian Hallisay, who she married in 2013: Autumn, 11, Atticus, 10, and Aidan, 3. The 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' star, meanwhile, shares two kids with Prinze Jr., who she married in 2002: Charlotte, 15, and Rocky, 12. Hewitt concluded to The Post that that the feud rumors are 'just really unfortunate.' 'We run in different circles,' Prinze Jr. recently told Variety. 'I hadn't seen [Hewitt] since we wrapped the second movie in '98, but we care a lot about these characters, and it was all still there.' Hewitt previously said that she hasn't talked to Gellar since they were 18 in the 1997 movie. Gellar also addressed the rumors on social media. 11 Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. at the July 2025 premiere of 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock 11 Freddie Prinze Jr., Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jennifer Love Hewitt in the original 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' Moviestore/Shutterstock 11 Freddie Prinze Jr., Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Philippe in 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 'For everyone asking — I never got to see @jenniferlovehewitt, who is fantastic in the movie,' she wrote via Instagram on July 16. 'I was inside with my kids when the big carpet happened. And unfortunately, JLH didn't come to the after-party.' The 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' star added, 'If you have ever been to one of these, it's crazy. I sadly didn't get pics with most of the cast. But that doesn't change how amazing I think they all are. Unfortunately, some things happen only in real life and not online.' The 1997 Kevin Williamson-written film followed a group of four friends who accidentally kill a man. One year later, they're stalked by a hook-wielding killer. Hewitt and Prinze Jr's characters were the only ones to survive – Gellar and Phillippe's characters both kicked the bucket. Taking to The Post in May, Phillippe joked about how often he dies onscreen. 11 Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Jennifer Love Hewitt in 1997's 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 11 Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Jennifer Love Hewitt in 1997's 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection '[For 'Big Sky'] they put me all over the key art and the billboards, and then I died in the first episode,' he said, referring to his ABC series, which ran from 2020 to 2023. 'So I had a lot of people that were very angry with me about that. A lot of friends or fans were like, 'Oh, we're going to watch this show and you die in the first episode!' Now, I have to assure anyone when I'm in a project that I'm going to be in more than one episode.' The latest 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' ended with a wild post-credits scene, suggesting more movies in the franchise could happen. 'Oh my gosh, I have no idea. I mean, truthfully, I was just excited to be asked back for this one. So I don't want to be too greedy,' Hewitt told The Post. 'But as long as there's a really interesting, fun story to tell, and as long the people still care about the characters, I'm always happy to hopefully find my way back there.'
