The cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has already unsettled late-night television. Now, new allegations from actress Jamie Lee Curtis have added a further layer of controversy.
In a series of recent interviews and social media posts, Ms. Curtis, a longtime friend of Mr. Colbert, accused CBS of attempting to suppress her criticism of the show’s cancellation. She went further still, suggesting that network executives had engaged in bribery and sabotage to hasten his departure—a claim that CBS has not addressed publicly and that has not been independently verified.
Ms. Curtis described the decision to end The Late Show, which aired its final season announcement in July, as “not simply a business move but a calculated effort to undermine” Mr. Colbert. At one point, she alleged the network had placed an “imposter” within the program’s staff to damage its reputation.
Her comments, dramatic in tone and sweeping in implication, have sparked a wave of speculation online and among some fans of Mr. Colbert, who has hosted the CBS flagship program since 2015.
The End of The Late Show
CBS announced on July 17 that it would discontinue The Late Show after 33 years, citing financial pressures and declining linear viewership. The decision surprised many in the industry, given Mr. Colbert’s relatively strong ratings compared with other late-night competitors.
“It’s not just the end of our show,” Mr. Colbert told viewers during a recent monologue. “It’s the end of The Late Show on CBS. I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away.”
The announcement followed a period of turbulence for Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, which is in the midst of an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media. The company also recently settled a $16 million lawsuit with former President Donald J. Trump, who sued over a 60 Minutes interview conducted with then–Vice President Kamala Harris.
Curtis’s Allegations
In her remarks, Ms. Curtis linked Mr. Colbert’s outspoken criticism of the Trump settlement to the network’s decision, suggesting that CBS executives sought to limit his political influence. She implied that outside political pressure may have played a role, though she offered no evidence beyond her own conviction.
“This isn’t just about money,” Ms. Curtis said in one interview. “This is about silencing a voice that was becoming too powerful.”
CBS has declined to comment on her allegations.
Industry Context
While Ms. Curtis’s claims remain unsubstantiated, they highlight the precarious position of late-night television in a shifting media landscape. Audiences have fragmented across streaming platforms, and advertisers are spending less on traditional broadcasts. Networks have increasingly turned to lower-cost reality and game-show formats.
At the same time, industry insiders have suggested that Mr. Colbert is already planning his next step. He has reportedly discussed a potential collaboration with MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow on a hybrid program blending comedy and political commentary, which could arrive as soon as 2026.
If realized, such a partnership would represent a departure from traditional late-night formats, positioning itself at the intersection of satire and journalism—an area where Mr. Colbert has long thrived.
What Comes Next
For now, Ms. Curtis’s accusations remain unverified, and it is unclear whether she intends to provide further evidence. Still, her willingness to raise them publicly underscores the high emotions surrounding the end of The Late Show, a program that, for nearly a decade, provided one of television’s most prominent platforms for political satire.
Whether Mr. Colbert’s next chapter involves Ms. Maddow—or another reinvention entirely—the controversy surrounding his departure reflects the broader upheaval facing network television itself.