David Letterman, 79, Lashes Out at His Former Network, CBS, Calling Them ‘Lying Weasels'
David Letterman isn't afraid to share his thoughts about his former network, CBS, in the wake of the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's The Late Show.
The iconic comedian, 79, who is known for his beloved shows Late Night with David Letterman and TheLate Show with David Letterman, currently hosts Netflix's My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman. But in a new interview with the New York Times, Letterman was asked if he believes The Late Show was canceled because of a financial decision.
Letterman responded by saying, "They don't share the books with me. All of television seems to have been nicked by digital communication and streaming platforms and on and on. TV may be not the money machine it once was. On the other hand, what about the humanity for Stephen and the humanity of people who love him and the humanity for people who still enjoyed that 11:30 respite?"
The late-night legend continued, providing another reason why he thinks Colbert was fired.
"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?' I'm just going to go on record as saying: They're lying. Let me just add one other thing, Jason. They're lying weasels."
When asked about the staying power of late night, Letterman said, "We still have Jimmy (Kimmel). We still have Seth [Meyers]. It's not completely dead on arrival, but I would be surprised if it lasts more than a year or so. But it's such an easy soothing format that it's got to stay on," he said, later specifying, "Well, maybe specific shows. I don't think it'll ever go away because it's just the best. It's humans talking to humans."
Letterman Called CBS News a "Wreck"
This recent interview wasn't the first time Letterman has gone off on his former network. Back in January, Letterman introduced the world to his new dog, but proceeded to speak out about CBS.
"By the way, what about those idiots at CBS?" Letterman said. "CBS News is a wreck – it's just gone. CBS News, for decades, going back to [the second world war], before [it], Ed Murrow would be broadcasting the blitz of London from the rooftop of buildings in London for CBS Radio, and it was that mentality that drove the integrity of CBS News, that has been trampled on, pissed on, and eviscerated by these idiots that have taken it over."
Bari Weiss was named the new editor-in-chief of CBS News in October.
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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 2:13 PM.