Latest news with #Letterman
The Hill
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hill
David Letterman on ‘gutless' cancellation of Colbert's show: ‘Pure cowardice'
Comedian David Letterman on Friday joined the chorus of late-night hosts to bash CBS News after it announced it would sunset 'The Late Show' after more than three decades on air, while praising host Stephen Colbert as a 'martyr.' Letterman — the show's first host — alluded to the recent $16 million settlement between CBS's parent company Paramount Global and the Trump administration, and its expected merger with entertainment giant Skydance, when he called the decision to nix the program 'gutless.' 'I think one day, if not today, the people at CBS who have manipulated and handled this are going to be embarrassed because this is gutless,' he said during a recorded chat with his former 'Late Show' producers Barbara Gaines and Mary Barclay. 'I only wish this could happen to me. This would have been so great for me.' Paramount called the move 'purely a financial decision' and not related to the show's performance or content. Letterman, like other press advocates and some Democrats, did not seem satisfied with that answer. Instead, the 'Late Show' veteran cast the blame on who he called the 'Oracle twins,' referring to billionaire Larry Ellison and his son David Ellison, who is set to lead the 'New Paramount' after the Federal Communications Commission gave the greenlight for Skydance to acquire the company. The merger is expected to be completed by Aug. 7. 'There's no fairness to these goons,' Letterman said, adding 'These guys are bottom feeders. That's exactly what this is.' 'Of course, they know that broadcast television is withering, so now they want, just want to make sure on top of buying something that doesn't have the same value as it had 30 years ago. They don't want to be hassled by the United States government,' he continued. 'So, they want CBS to take care of all of that mess.' The comedian also blasted CBS's decision to settle with Trump after he sued '60 Minutes' over an interview with former Vice President Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign as 'pure cowardice.' Top names in late-night television — such as Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart and Seth Meyers — have defended Colbert, who has openly raised concerns over Paramount's recent decisions. Letterman was no different. 'Now, for Stephen, I love this. He's a martyr. Good for him, right?' he told his former producers. 'Now we've all got to kiss Stephen Colbert's ring now,' he quipped later. 'And if you listen carefully, you can hear them unfolding chairs at the Hall of Fame for his induction, right?' Colbert, who took the reins from Letterman in 2015, has gone back-and-forth with Trump in recent days. 'I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings,' the president wrote in a post on Truth Social earlier this week after the company revealed it would end the show in May 2026. The comedian replied, 'How dare you, sir. Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism: 'Go f‑‑‑ yourself.''
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
David Letterman slams CBS' decision to cancel 'The Late Show' as 'pure cowardice'
"The Late Show" creator David Letterman slammed CBS' decision to cancel the long-running late-night franchise in may 2026 as "pure cowardice" on Friday.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
David Letterman slams CBS' decision to cancel 'The Late Show' as 'pure cowardice'
"The Late Show" creator David Letterman slammed CBS' decision to cancel the long-running late-night franchise in may 2026 as "pure cowardice" on Friday.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
David Letterman hurls fiery rant at ‘gutless' CBS over Stephen Colbert's ‘Late Show' cancellation
David Letterman delivered a fiery rant against CBS and parent company Paramount for cancelling Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show,' calling the decision 'gutless' and 'pure cowardice' as he labeled his successor a martyr of the network. Letterman, who hosted CBS's late-night talk show for 22 years, passionately defended Colbert during his conversation with former 'Late Show' producers Barbara Gaines and Mary Barclay on Friday — just over a week since the show was axed. 'The fact that they killed the franchise and told Stephen to go,' Letterman said in a video posted to his YouTube channel. 'Now, for Stephen, I love this. He is a martyr. Good for him.' 6 David Letterman speaks out against CBS canceling the 'Late Show with Stephen Colbert' on July 25, 2025. Letterman/YouTube The 78-year-old comedian says Colbert had immortalized himself as the face of the network since he took over the iconic talk show in September 2015. '10 years ago, I quit and left,' Letterman said. 'Then Stephen Colbert comes along, and pretty quickly established himself as a precise, crisp, witty political satirist, and often his target has been the current administration. 'Based on that and just the overall entertainment quota of the show, drew a great audience and people became not addicted to but always looking forward to political satire from Stephen Colbert, he was very good at it. For 10 years, I think became the face of the network.' On July 17, CBS announced that it would cancel Colbert's show in 2026 due to financial reasons. The show was losing between $40 million and $50 million a year, The Post learned. 6 Letterman speaks with his former 'Late Night' staffers Barbara Gaines and Mary Barclay during a conversation posted to YouTube. Letterman/YouTube 6 Stephen Colbert sits at his desk during a shooting of 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' inside the Ed Sullivan Theater on June 25, 2025. Scott Kowalchyk/CBS Letterman didn't believe the financial hardship claims were the reason for the cancellation, instead blaming the company executives who feared Paramount's sale to Skydance wouldn't go through. 'If they were losing this kind of money, you're telling me losing this kind of money happened yesterday. Yeah right,' he said. 'I bet they were losing this kind of money six weeks ago, or they have never been losing money.' The comedian called out the network's news branch, saying CBS News doesn't make money for the company and is still around. 'Take a look at CBS News, it's still in business and I'm not certain that that's a profit center,' he said. 6 The Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan where 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is recorded on July 22, 2025. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post 6 Paramount and CBS News signs at the Paramount offices on Broadway in Manhattan, NY on June 13, 2025. Christopher Sadowski 'I think the idea that they're hiding behind money and they're giving him another 10 months. That's a huge chunk of money they're gonna lose,' Letterman said. Colbert's cancellation came as CBS-Paramount Holdings finalized the sale of the network to Skydance Media for $8.4 billion on July 24. 'The f–k is Skydance? Honest to Christ. Is it a discount airline?' Letterman joked. 'I think one day, if not today, the people at CBS who have manipulated and handled this are going to be embarrassed because this is gutless,' he added. 6 Stephen Colbert during his opening monologue for his 'Late Show' on July 21, 2025. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert The purported $8.4 billion sale comes in light of CBS settling a lawsuit with President Donald Trump after the commander in chief accused CBS News' '60 Minutes' of deceptively editing an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the weeks leading up to the 2024 general election. Letterman called the settlement 'pure cowardice' as the lawsuit targeted the network's 'pinnacle of journalistic integrity.' Colbert, 61, has also called himself a 'martyr' as he blamed his show's demise on Trump, telling the commander in chief to 'go f–k yourself' in his opening monologue on July 21. Letterman wished the cancellation had happened on his watch as he now has to kiss 'Colbert's ring.' The comedian had already commented on the shock ending to the long-time show. 'You can't spell CBS without BS,' Letterman captioned a YouTube video of his old jokes against the Turner network.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
David Letterman calls Paramount 'gutless' for canceling Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show'
David Letterman, who hosted "The Late Show" from 1993 to 2015, joked that his predecessor, Stephen Colbert, is a "martyr" and questioned the motivations for canceling the CBS show. David Letterman is questioning the motivations behind the shock cancellation of his former CBS home, "The Late Show." Speaking with former "Late Night with David Letterman" colleagues Barbara Gaines and Mary Barclay in a July 25 clip from "The Barbara Gaines Show" on Letterman's YouTube channel, the 78-year-old comedian did not hold back. He threw barbs at CBS parent company Paramount Global and David Ellison, who's slated to become CEO after Paramount merges with his Skydance Media in an $8.4 billion deal. "It's all very strange. It's very complicated, but it was a bit of a surprise, wasn't it?" Letterman said. As the 14-minute Zoom conversation continued, he eventually called Paramount pulling the plug on Stephen Colbert's show "pure cowardice" and "gutless." Letterman hosted the show from 1993 until 2015, at which point Colbert took over post-"Colbert Report." After Colbert announced on July 17 that "The Late Show" would be ending in May after more than 30 years, Paramount released a statement that called the move "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night." The media company also maintained: "It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount." While Colbert's show is the top rated at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT, it was losing a reported $40 million a year. David Letterman blasts explanation that 'Late Show' was canceled for financial reasons Letterman speculated that Paramount is capitulating to Ellison, who might not "want any trouble from that guy," referring to Colbert, long known for his political satire and criticism of President Donald Trump. "Not only are we going to get rid of that guy, we're going to get rid of the whole franchise so you don't have to worry about another guy," Letterman said in an impersonation of Paramount executives. "It's gone, buddy!" "I think it's sad, but what this indicates also is (Ellison doesn't) want any trouble along the lines of freedom of the press or free speech or freedom of expression," Letterman surmised. "They don't want to get their hands dirty; they don't want the government going after them." He also cast doubt on the explanation that the "Late Show" cancellation was "purely a financial decision." "I don't think it was money. I think it was all to make sure (Ellison was) solid spending dad's (Larry Ellison's) money," he said. "You're telling me losing this kind of money happened yesterday?" he said. "I bet they were losing this kind of money a month ago. I'll bet they were losing this kind of money six weeks ago, or they have never been losing money. "Take a look at the CBS News. It's still in business, and I'm not certain that that's a profit center," he continued. What Letterman said before: The ex-host's subtle jab at CBS amid Colbert 'Late Show' cancellation 'We've all got to kiss Stephen Colbert's ring' Letterman, who was complimentary of Colbert and the work he's done since taking over Letterman's show, went on to excoriate Paramount's treatment of its star talent. "They did not do the correct thing. They did not handle Stephen Colbert, the face of that network, in the way he deserves to have been handled," he said. Letterman went on to declare that those who decided the fate of "The Late Show" would regret the move. "One day, if not today, the people at CBS who have manipulated and handled this are going to be embarrassed because this is gutless," Letterman said. "Now we've all got to kiss Stephen Colbert's ring now," he added, joking that he's a "martyr" for his firing.
