David Letterman has some strong opinions on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert being canceled.
In a new interview, Letterman said he didn’t believe CBS‘s reason for cutting the late-night talk show, calling the network “lying weasels.”
“He was dumped because the people selling the network to Skydance said, ‘Oh no, there’s not going to be any trouble with that guy. We’re going to take care of the show. We’re just going to throw that into the deal. When will the ink on the check dry?’ I’m just going to go on record as saying: They’re lying,” Letterman told The New York Times.
The comedian doubled down and added, “Let me just add one other thing. They’re lying weasels.”
CBS has maintained that the reason for The Late Show’s cancellation was merely a “financial decision,” which Colbert addressed on his show soon after.
Letterman said that he was in “disbelief” when he found out the late-night show he had founded was canceled. Although he noted that CBS doesn’t “share the books” with him, he thinks that “all of television seems to have been nicked by digital communication and streaming platforms,” adding, “TV may be not the money machine it once was. On the other hand, what about the humanity for Stephen and the humanity of people who love him and the humanity for people who still enjoyed that 11:30 respite?”
The Stephen Colbert-hosted late-night show will end on Thursday, May 21. Taking over The Late Show will be Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed starting on Friday, May 22.
