David Letterman Slams CBS Owners as “Lying Weasels” Over Colbert Cancellation

David Letterman spoke to the New York Times about CBS , parent-group Paramount , and the decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , saying of the network owners, “They’re lying weasels.”

Letterman recalled his “disbelief” at hearing about the cancelation of the show he co-created. After the initial shock, and hearing the decision framed as a financial matter, he added, “Then it seemed like a botched holdup.”

Of Colbert, Letterman said, “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?’

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“I’m just going to go on record as saying: They’re lying. Let me just add one other thing,” he continued. “They’re lying weasels.”

In response, CBS reiterated to the Times that canceling The Late Show was “Unequivocally a financial decision.”

This is Letterman’s latest volley against CBS and its owners. He previously quipped, “You can’t spell BS without CBS,” and ripped the Colbert firing as “pure cowardice.”

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_Originally reported by [Consequence](https://consequence.net/2026/05/david-letterman-cbs-lying-weasels-colbert/)._