Jamie Lee Curtis Defends Stephen Colbert, Accuses CBS of Silencing a Truth-Teller
In a bold and impassioned statement, legendary actress Jamie Lee Curtis has stepped forward to defend comedian and host Stephen Colbert following CBS’s controversial decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Curtis, joining a growing chorus of political figures and celebrities, accused the network of silencing Colbert not due to budgetary concerns—as CBS claimed—but because of his unapologetic honesty and criticism of corporate and political powers.
Curtis did not mince words. “He’s being punished for telling the truth,” she said. “They want to silence voices that make them uncomfortable, but we won’t be quiet. We’ll just get louder.” Her comments struck a nerve with fans and fellow entertainers alike, many of whom have expressed outrage over what they believe is a politically motivated cancellation masked as a business decision.
CBS announced in July 2025 that The Late Show would end in May 2026, citing financial concerns and broader challenges within the late-night television landscape. Yet, the timing of the announcement raised immediate suspicion. Just days earlier, Colbert had publicly criticized CBS’s parent company, Paramount, for settling a $16 million lawsuit with Donald Trump—calling it a “big fat bribe.” That moment, many believe, may have sealed the show’s fate.
For nine consecutive seasons, The Late Show was the top-rated late-night program. It consistently outperformed its competitors and maintained a loyal audience even as TV ratings declined across the board. From a performance standpoint, the cancellation made little sense. From a political one, it began to look disturbingly calculated.
Jamie Lee Curtis’s remarks further fueled this narrative. She called out CBS CEO George Cheeks—without naming him directly—as someone who “turned his back on Colbert,” claiming the decision wasn’t about money, but about silencing a voice of integrity. “This wasn’t just a cancellation. It was a takedown,” she said.
Her comments triggered a wave of public support. Fellow hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Fallon spoke out in solidarity. Jon Stewart, who previously hosted The Daily Show, described the cancellation as “a gut punch to comedy and truth.” Even lawmakers like Senator Elizabeth Warren demanded answers, urging CBS to clarify whether Colbert’s political commentary influenced the decision.
Colbert himself addressed the issue on air with his signature mix of sarcasm and sincerity. “They say it’s a financial decision,” he joked, “but I’ve been the number one show for nine years straight. So unless they accidentally looked at the wrong chart, I’m not sure the math adds up.”
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, insiders point to CBS’s ongoing negotiations around a major merger with Skydance Media, a deal under scrutiny by Trump-aligned regulators. In that context, cutting ties with a Trump critic like Colbert may have been a strategic—if morally questionable—move.
As the final season of The Late Show approaches, Jamie Lee Curtis’s courage to speak out has reignited debate over freedom of speech, political pressure in media, and the cost of telling the truth in today’s entertainment landscape. For many, Colbert’s cancellation isn’t just the end of a show—it’s the beginning of a reckoning.
