CBS has announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end its run in May 2026, prompting a profanity-laced response from ABC host Jimmy Kimmel and renewed speculation over the network’s internal politics, as reported by The Washington Free Beacon.

The decision to cancel The Late Show comes just days after Colbert criticized CBS’s parent company, Paramount, for settling a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump.

Trump’s lawsuit alleged that the network deceptively edited an interview with then-candidate Kamala Harris to promote her 2024 campaign.

The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed sum. Colbert called the settlement a “big fat bribe,” accusing Paramount of trying to gain favor with the Trump administration to secure approval for its pending merger with Skydance Media.

Following CBS’s announcement, Kimmel posted a reaction on Instagram Stories: “Love you Stephen. F**k you and all your Sheldons CBS,” referencing the network’s programming slate, including The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon.

CBS denied any connection between the show’s cancellation and Colbert’s recent criticism, stating in a press release that the decision 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.”