Updated July 18, 2025 at 18:15 PM ET
While taping his Thursday show, host Stephen Colbert made the surprising announcement that CBS is ending his late night show in May.
The live audience at New York's Ed Sullivan Theater booed when he delivered the news that this would be the show's final season.
"Yeah, I share your feelings," he told the audience. "It's not just the end our 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 has hosted the top-rated show since 2015, taking over for David Letterman.
The news comes just days after Colbert criticized CBS's parent company, Paramount Global, for paying $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, whom Colbert regularly skewers in his monologues. Trump claimed the network interfered in the 2024 election by editing a 60 Minutes interview with his opponent, Kamala Harris.
The decision to shutter Late Night With Stephen Colbert also comes as Paramount Global seeks Federal Communications Commission approval to merge with Skydance Media, a $8.4 billion agreement.
In a statement, the network said ending the show was a financial decision, "not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount."
But fans are skeptical. Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California, who was a guest on Thursday's show, called for more transparency over the decision. "If Paramount and CBS ended The Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know," he posted on X. " And deserves better."
Just finished taping with Stephen Colbert who announced his show was cancelled.
— Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) July 17, 2025
If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and others on social media also weighed in, expressing skepticism about the timing of the decision to end the show.
Democratic Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts also commented in a letter to Paramount Global Chair Shari Redstone.
"Paramount should not be making editorial decisions or compromising its editorial independence at the behest of or under pressure from the government, including in the context of securing FCC merger approval," Markey wrote. "If the Trump administration is using its regulatory authority to influence or otherwise pressure your company's editorial decisions, the public deserves to know."
The Writers Guild of America is demanding that the New York state attorney general investigate the cancellation. "Given Paramount's recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Show's cancellation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval," the WGA said in a statement.
Colbert's fans started a Change.org petition asking CBS to reverse the decision to cancel the show. Colbert's fellow late night show hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers have all posted statements of support.
But President Trump celebrated the news. "I absolutely love that Colbert' got fired," he posted on Truth Social. "I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next."
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