Stephen Colbert slammed Paramount's $16 million settlement with Donald Trump just three days before 'The Late Show' was canceled. The network attributed its decision to financial restraints, unrelated

A new report from Puck's Matt Belloni is shedding light on the finances that led to CBS' bombshell cancellation of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

Colbert notably clowned Paramount and described the settlement as a “big fat bribe” on Monday’s show, jokes that sparked speculation that the program’s cancellation was politically motivated and led the show’s union to call for an investigation into CBS’ decision.

“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,” Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote on X. “America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.”

'Tracker' Shocker! Hit CBS Series Loses Half Its Main Cast Ahead of Season 3 first appeared on Parade on Jul 19, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.

CBS’ decision to cut ties with Stephen Colbert and its decades-old “Late Show” franchise come next May will leave a major hole in the format — but one that has been widening. TV networks have been cutting costs at their late-night mainstays for the past few years.

Great ratings and brand recognition weren’t enough to save the long-running franchise.

In a move that has raised more than a few eyebrows, Colbert’s long-running show was pulled without warning just days after the host ripped into his network’s parent company, Paramount, for paying what he described as a “big fat bribe” to the Trump administration in a legal settlement.