CBS stunned the media world Friday by announcing it will cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after next season — abruptly ending the comedian’s 10-year run with little warning.
The decision follows Colbert’s recent on-air swipe at CBS, accusing the network of paying a “big fat bribe” to President Trump as part of a legal settlement. That jab appears to have backfired.
Kimmel: ‘F–k You’
Fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel lashed out over the cancellation, posting on Instagram:
“Love you Stephen. Fk you and all your Sheldons CBS.”**
Kimmel’s crude outburst referenced CBS’s popular show Young Sheldon, and came just hours after the network said Colbert’s exit was “purely a financial decision.”
Critics aren’t buying it. Kimmel and other liberal media figures have suggested Colbert was canned for taking shots at CBS’s leadership.
Fallout in Late-Night
Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart also criticized CBS and parent company Paramount earlier this month during a rare on-air appearance. Paramount is currently engaged in a high-stakes merger with CBS.
Despite the controversy, CBS released a glowing statement calling