David Letterman blasts CBS owner as “lying weasels” for claiming that the cancellation decision for The Late Show is due to budget constraints.

In a new interview with The New York Times published on Tuesday, May 5, the Emmy-winning talk show host aims at the network, sharing that he doesn’t believe that CBS is ending late show transmission due to finances.

"They don’t share the books with me," Letterman told the outlet. "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.”

Letterman also emphasized the host Stephen Colbert and his fans.

“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?" he questioned.

The late-night TV icon further argued that Colbert is “dumped” due to CBS's deal with Skydance.

"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,'" Letterman said.

Letterman insisted, “They’re lying. Let me just add one other thing, Jason. They’re lying weasels," referring to the writer Jason Zinoman.

During the July 17, 2025, episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, host Stephen Colbert confirmed the long-running talk show would conclude after more than three decades on air.

CBS described the decision at the time as “purely financial,” citing a challenging landscape for late-night television. The programme is now scheduled to air its final episode on Thursday, May 21.