Jimmy Fallon has become the latest late-night host to come to Stephen Colbert's defense following the shocking cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Taking to his Instagram Stories, the Tonight Show host expressed his shock over CBS's cancellation of The Late Show. While Fallon chose not to take quite as heated a take as Jimmy Kimmel, he did give his endless support to Colbert who he called a true friend and gentleman.
"I'm just as shocked as everyone. Stephen is one of the sharpest, funniest hosts to ever do it. I really thought l'd ride this out with him for years to come. I'm sad that my family and friends will need a new show to watch every night at 11:30. But honestly, he's really been a gentleman and a true friend over the years - going back to The Colbert Report, and I'm sure whatever he does next will be just as brilliant."
Fallon is the second late-night host to weigh in on CBS’s controversial decision to end The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, and we imagine he won’t be the last.
Since news broke of CBS’s decision to cancel the series, many have spoken out about the unexpected cancellation of late-night’s highest-rated program. Kimmel essentially told CBS to f--k off, while political figures such as Elizabeth Warren have taken to social media to question the cause behind the cancellation.
While CBS has stated the decision was strictly a financial one due to the changing landscape of broadcast television, Warren and others have blasted CBS for cancelling the show due to Colbert's comments about Paramount's $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump.
“CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump – a deal that looks like bribery. America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons,” Warren argued in a statement released on social media.
The timing of CBS's decision is most certainly questionable. News of the decision to cancel The Late Show after more than 30 years on air came just days after Colbert blasted CBS's parent company for what he called a "big fat bribe." In his July 15 show, Colbert did not hold back as he alleged that Paramount's owners caved to Trump in settling the lawsuit they previously claimed had "no merit" in an effort to garner favor from President Trump as the network prepares for a sale to Skydance.
If the decision was indeed the result of a financial shift, one has to wonder why CBS chose to pull the plug this week amid so much online speculation about whether Colbert's comments could jeopardize his future with the network. The timing aligns with this narrative and certainly seems to suggest CBS chose to cut ties with Colbert as a direct result of his commentary, and to save face with President Trump as it prepares for the sale of the network.
Fortunately, we've got several more months of the show as The Late Show will not sign off the air until May 2026. If these last 24 hours are any indication, the decision to end the show is going to continue to create headlines with more expected to weigh in on the cancellation in the days and weeks ahead.
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