Furious Stephen Colbert rips Paramount bosses live on air for settling $16m lawsuit with Trump
Trump accused Paramount's network, CBS, which also airs The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, of falsely editing an interview with then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris before the election.
Although the network didn't admit to any journalistic wrongdoing, the massive settlement will cover Trump's legal fees and his future presidential library.
Paramount also agreed to release unedited transcripts of 60 Minutes interviews with presidential candidates.
Colbert didn't hesitate to take shots at his parent corporation, confessing in his opening monologue on Wednesday's episode that he was 'offended' by the actions of his employer.
The late night host called the lawsuit against CBS a 'nuisance,' and claimed that Paramount could've 'easily fought it' citing the company's own words calling the allegations 'completely without merit.'
'And keep in mind Paramount produced Transformers: Rise of the Beast. They know "completely without merit,"' Colbert joked, poking fun at the Paramount+ film that bombed at the box office.
Colbert then cited a phony statement, joking that the network said, 'You may take our money, but you will never take our dignity.
'You may, however, purchase our dignity for the low, low, price of $16 million. We need the cash.'
Colbert argued that the settlement was a 'big, fat, bribe,' in light of the company's merger with Skydance, which will need approval from the Trump administration.
The late night host then cited an article from Puck, that claimed the merger could 'put pressure' on him to ease up on Trump criticisms.
Colbert brushed off the gossip, joking that his new mustache will make it impossible for the new executives to find and put pressure on him.
Daily Mail reached out to Paramount for comment in response to Colbert's claims.
CBS has undergone executive changes as an $8 billion merger with David Ellison's Skydance remains on the table.
David's father, Larry Ellison, is a multi-billionaire and Trump supporter. He joined the president at the White House in January for the unveiling of a project called Stargate and is providing the $8 billion for the CBS deal, according to the New York Times.
The merger agreement was announced last July, but has stalled. A 90-day extension was issued a few weeks ago to give the parties more time to come to an agreement.
Paramount heiress Shari Redstone has reportedly been pushing for the deal and was in favor of settling the lawsuit.
Colbert isn't the only employee at Paramount upset with the recent business dealings.
CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon announced her resignation in May, writing in a memo, 'It's become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward.'
'It's time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership.'
Former 60 Minutes boss Bill Owens also resigned after he opposed the settlement with the president.
Owens resigned in April amid the turmoil after serving as the program's executive producer since 2019.
'Over the past months, it has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it,' he wrote at the time.
Under Owens' leadership, 60 Minutes interviewed Harris which prompted the lawsuit from Trump.
In the interview, Harris was asked about the war in Gaza and her response was edited down. The network defended the decision at the time, arguing that it was edited to fit the program's time constraint.
After the lawsuit was settled, Trump's legal team issued a statement that read, 'With this record settlement, President Donald J. Trump delivers another win for the American people as he, once again, holds the Fake News media accountable for their wrongdoing and deceit.'
'CBS and Paramount Global realized the strength of this historic case and had no choice but to settle.
'President Trump will always ensure that no one gets away with lying to the American People as he continues on his singular mission to Make America Great Again.'
The settlement marks another win for Trump's legal crusade against the media. ABC News agreed to a settlement of $15 million in December after the president accused anchor George Stephanopoulos of making false claims about him on air.
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