Hollywood reels as CBS pulls the plug on The Late Show—sparking fury, politics, and betrayal in late-night TV’s elite circle.

Jimmy Kimmel didn’t hold back.

Just moments after Stephen Colbert dropped a bombshell on his live audience—revealing that CBS is canceling The Late Show after the 2025-2026 season—his longtime friend and time-slot rival erupted on social media.

“Love you Stephen,” Kimmel wrote on Instagram over a clip of Colbert’s emotional announcement. “F— you and all your Sheldons CBS.”

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The rage was immediate—and deeply personal.

Kimmel, currently on summer break from ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, has grown close with Colbert in recent years. Their friendship was cemented during the 2023 Hollywood writers’ strike, when they teamed up with Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver to launch the popular Strike Force Five podcast.

The timing of CBS’ decision has sent shockwaves through the industry. The network claimed the cancellation is “purely a financial decision,” but sources suggest something more sinister may be at play.

Paramount Global, CBS’ parent company, is in final negotiations to be sold to Skydance Media. And with Donald Trump back in the White House, some insiders say Colbert—long a thorn in the side of the 45th and now 47th president—may have been deemed expendable.

“Let’s be honest, this isn’t just about money,” one network insider told us under condition of anonymity. “It’s about silencing voices that challenge Trump. Colbert was at the top of that list.”

The cancellation marks the end of a late-night era that began with David Letterman in 1993 and saw Colbert rise to become one of the fiercest critics of Republican leadership. His monologues routinely targeted Trump, Fox News, and conservative policies, drawing both critical acclaim and political ire.

Kimmel’s explosive response is already being echoed by other liberal-leaning entertainers and media personalities, many of whom see this as the first domino to fall under Trump’s second term.

As for Colbert, he ended his announcement on a bittersweet note.

“We’ve got another season,” he told his audience, “and we’re gonna make it count.”

But for millions of viewers—and many in the industry—the writing is already on the wall. The war over late-night isn’t just about ratings anymore.

It’s political.



And the knives are out.