Stephen Colbert Is Still ‘Unclear’ on Why The Late Show Was Canceled
Stephen Colbert has no allegiances anymore. The Late Show host eviscerated his soon-to-be-former parent company, Paramount, in his November 3 “Man of the Year” interview with GQ, addressing the company’s decision to cancel his late-night comedy show after it paid Donald Trump $16 million over his 60 Minutes lawsuit. Though the company denied a connection, it looks a lot like Paramount ditched The Late Show to appease Trump. “My reaction as a professional in show business is to go: That is the network’s decision,” Colbert said. “I can understand why people would have that reaction because CBS or the parent corporation — I’m not going to say who made that decision, because I don’t know; no one’s ever going to tell us — decided to cut a check for $16 million to the president of the United States over a lawsuit that their own lawyers, Paramount’s own lawyers, said is completely without merit.”
Colbert acknowledged the rumors, even though he’s not sure he fully agrees with them. “It is self-evident that that is damaging to the reputation of the network, the corporation, and the news division,” he continued. “So it is unclear to me why anyone would do that other than to curry favor with a single individual. If people have theories that associate me with that, it’s a reasonable thing to think, because CBS or the corporation clearly did it once.” He added, “My side of the street is clean and I have no interest in picking up a broom or adding to refuse on the other side of the street. Not my problem.”
He may be free, but the rest of the network is still dealing with the fallout. On November 2, 60 Minutes aired an interview featuring the very president who sued and berated the show earlier this year. Remarking that he was paid “a lotta money” from 60 Minutes, Trump went on to praise Paramount CEO David Ellison as well as conservative writer Bari Weiss, whom Ellison installed as the head of CBS News on October 6. “I see good things happening in the news,” Trump added. “I really do. And I think one of the best things to happen is this show and new ownership, CBS and new ownership. I think it’s the greatest thing that’s happened in a long time to a free and open and good press.” Consider him appeased.
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