Stephen Colbert unwillingly became a figurative martyr for late-night TV when The Late Show was canceled in July 2025. As fellow comedians and colleagues gave him a proper sendoff, many criticized CBS for gutting the legacy show. So, what is Stephen doing next?
Below, find out what job Stephen has lined up next after The Late Show goes dark.
CBS — which is owned by Paramount Skydance — insisted that the reason for The Late Show‘s cancelation was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night” and “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
But industry colleagues and audiences beg to differ.
Just weeks before The Late Show‘s cancelation, CBS had just settled a lawsuit with Donald Trump for $16 million after the Republican president sued the network, accusing it of editing Kamala Harris‘ 60 Minutes interview.
Although Stephen has maintained his graciousness toward CBS executives, he told The Hollywood Reporter what he believed happened between CBS and the president.
“There are many people who believe there was another reason [for my cancelation]. And, as I said in the most measured tones I could muster, there is a reason why people believe that — the network had clearly already done it once by cutting that $16 million check [to the Trump administration],” Stephen explained. “Me being canceled reinforced a narrative that CBS already had a nimbus of knee-bending that they had created around themselves, because even their lawyers said there was no reason to cut the check, and then they did and gave no rationale for why they changed their minds, and then suddenly they got their broadcast license.”
