Colbert Calls Cancellation 'Reasonable' After $16M Settlement

In a wide-ranging GQ interview, Stephen Colbert addressed theories that CBS canceled The Late Show to appease President Donald Trump after Paramount reportedly paid a $16 million settlement, saying he does not know who made the decision and treating it as the network's call. He called the idea that politics played a role “reasonable” given the settlement's timing and its reputational damage, but declined to speculate while the show finishes its run. Colbert criticized the settlement as appearing to curry favor with an individual and said he wants to keep his “side of the street” clean rather than escalate controversy. CBS and Paramount maintain the cancellation was a financial decision amid a difficult advertising marketplace, and The Late Show will air its final episode in May 2026. The announcement prompted public backlash — Donald Trump celebrated the cancellation, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff sought answers, and peers including David Letterman called the move cowardly.