“This reeks of something darker” – Elizabeth Warren blasts Paramount – Questions sudden LATE SHOW cancellation as settlement raises eyebrows, warns of a ‘BRIBERY-LIKE’ pattern unfolding behind the network’s glossy façade

Senator Elizabeth Warren is raising alarm bells after CBS announced the abrupt cancellation of The Late Show. Speaking just days after Paramount’s quiet multimillion-dollar settlement, Warren didn’t mince words. “It looks like bribery,” she said, hinting at a backdoor deal that could have triggered Stephen Colbert’s shocking exit. With the show’s ratings stable and no clear reason for the axe, why would CBS cut ties so suddenly? And why now? Warren’s suspicion adds weight to growing speculation that something much bigger—and more sinister—is unfolding behind the scenes.

Follow the latest updates and uncover what CBS may not want you to know.

The criticism over CBS’ decision on Thursday to cancel the long-running late-night program The Late Show has already begun to mount, with Sen, Elizabeth Warren among the move’s most vocal detractors.

Warren questions the timing of the announcement given that the talk show’s host, Stephen Colbert, recently criticized CBS’ corporate parent, Paramount Global, for settling a suit brought by President Donald Trump that many legal observers believe should have been dismissed on First Amendment grounds.

“CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump– a deal that looks like bribery,” the Massachusetts senator wrote on X on Thursday. “America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons. Watch and share his message.”

Warren then linked to the monologue Colbert gave on Monday’s episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which he has hosted since 2015. In it, Colbert rips into Paramount for settling the lawsuit brought by Trump over a 2024 60 Minutes interview with his contender in that year’s presidential election, Kamala Harris.

“I believe this kind of complicated financial sentiment with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles. It’s ‘big fat bribe,’” Colbert joked, “because it all comes as Paramount’s owners are trying to get the Trump administration to approve the sale of our network to a new owner, Skydance.”

‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ to end in 2026, CBS retiring franchise after 33 years

Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for CBS, Paramount, Colbert, Warren, and the White House.

CBS issued a statement on Thursday regarding the cancellation of the beloved talk show, which launched with host David Letterman in 1993.

“We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time. We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television,” the statement read.

The network also noted that The Late Show has been an enduring success with Colbert at the helm.

Stephen Colbert on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’.Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty

“The show has been #1 in late night for nine straight seasons; Stephen’s comedy resonates daily across digital and social media; and the broadcast is a staple of the nation’s zeitgeist,” according to the statement.

Colbert also announced the cancellation to his own audience on Thursday’s episode of The Late Show, which was greeted with a raucous round of booing.

“Yeah, I share your feelings. It’s not just the end of our show, but it’s the end of The Late Show on CBS. I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away,” he said.

Paramount Global announced its decision to settle with Trump on July 2.

Trump’s suit concerned a 2024 60 Minutes interview with Harris that was found to have been edited to air in different clips for both the long-running investigative program and Face The Nation. The network claimed the clip was edited to fit each broadcast’s unique time constraints, but Trump sought $10 billion with the assertion that CBS had manipulated the footage to “tip the scales [of the election] in favor of the Democratic party.”

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Though CBS labeled the suit “completely without merit” and asked a judge to dismiss it, the network eventually conceded, a move decried by many in light of Paramount’s effort to effect a merger with Skydance Media, which would require the approval of the Trump administration.

Colbert hasn’t backed down from this vocal opposition to the Trump administration, ceding airtime on Thursday’s episode to California Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, who directly addressed the president on camera, telling him to “piss off.”

Watch Colbert’s full monologue from Monday night’s episode of The Late Show below.