Photo Credit: Marc Millman

CBS is canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in May 2026. The program’s host shared the news during a Thursday, July 17 taping at the famed Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City, where he told his audience, “Next year will be our last season… It’s the end of The Late Show on CBS. I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away.” The decision presents an untimely conclusion to a program committed to the First Amendment, while also celebrating arts and culture, especially live music. 

The cancellation came after Colbert shared his feelings on air during the show’s Monday, July 14, run, regarding a settlement reached between Trump and CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, over a 60 Minutes story and edits applied to an interview with presidential hopeful and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. 

During the Monday monologue, Colbert expressed displeasure with the $16 million settlement struck with Paramount, whose unsettled sale to Sundance Media Company requires the Trump administration’s sign-off. On air, he responded to the situation, telling his audience: “I don’t know if anything–anything–will repair my trust in this company. But just taking a stab at it, I’d say $16 million would help.” He also referred to the deal as a “big fat bribe.” 

The impending demise of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert represents the latest charge by the Trump administration against the arts, following his purge of the Kennedy Center. 

Colbert took his seat behind the late-night desk in 2015, following the success of his own The Colbert Report and his work on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show, where he has often offered perspective and critique of the right. 

Democratic Senator Adam Schiff (Calif.) was a guest during Thursday’s episode. He followed up on Twitte/X, writing, “If Paramount and CBS ended The Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.” The Democratic Senator from Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren, offered a similar call for reasoning. 

In addition to politicians, musicians also responded on social media, including the program’s former bandleader, Jon Batiste, who wrote in the comment section of Colbert’s post, “The greatest to ever do it.” 

Colbert’s TV rival, Jimmy Kimmel, shared, “Love you, Stephen. Fuck you and all your Sheldons, CBS.”

Meanwhile, Jimmy Fallon wrote online, “I’m just as shocked as everyone. Stephen is one of the sharpest, funniest hosts to ever do it. I really thought I’d ride this out with him for years to come.”