The Late Show with Stephen Colbert came to an end on Thursday, May 21, 2026. Despite CBS citing financial reasons for the popular show’s cancellation, fans have said that they strongly believe it was a politically motivated decision.
Stephen Colbert fans on why The Late Show got canceled
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert came to an end on Thursday, May 21, 2026. The host announced that CBS had pulled the plug on the famed show roughly ten months ago. News of the cancellation came days after Colbert publicly criticized CBS’s parent company, Paramount. This was in regard to a settlement with President Donald Trump.
CBS has consistently claimed that the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was purely a financial decision. However, allegations about it being a politically motivated decision have persisted.
Many supporters of Colbert and the show gathered outside the Ed Sullivan Theater on the day of the final taping. Variety asked dozens of fans about their reaction to the cancellation.
“I was not very happy with CBS. At all. They did him dirty. I mean, free speech. He should be able to say what he says and not have backlash from the president,” Andrea Lobo, a math teacher from Ohio, said.
“It’s just the industry, and it’s nothing personal. You speak up, you upset people in power, and there are unfortunately consequences. I think, as a society, we’re going backwards in terms of freedom of speech,” added Wendy Sloan, a former daytime TV host from Canada.
“It’s a triumph because life goes on — and good ultimately prevails over evil,” Rick Hirschhaut, a Los Angeles-based educator, added about the cancellation. “I believe in his humanity, his goodness, his ability to bring out the best in everyone around him. He’s given us that shot of adrenaline and hope that our country desperately needs today,” he further added.
“I don’t think he did anything wrong other than speak the truth,” Esteban Rehava, an audience member who traveled from Phoenix, Arizona, said about Colbert.
Originally reported by Sourav Chakraborty on ComingSoon.
