Everyone Who’s Backed Stephen Colbert Since CBS Canceled ‘The Late Show’

Since CBS announced its decision to unceremoniously end The Late Show next May, an array of celebrities, politicians, and fellow late-night legends have thrown their support behind the institution’s current host, Stephen Colbert.

Adam Sandler called Colbert a “strong man,” and added, “he’s gonna do great,” when asked about the cancellation at the premiere of Happy Gilmore 2. “I feel terrible that he doesn’t have what he’s had for so many years … and my heart goes out to him,” Sandler continued. “But I know the guy is as smart as it gets. He’ll figure something out immediately.”

David Letterman, the famed first host of The Late Show, reacted to the news of the cancellation by sharing a whopping 20-minute montage of different moments he criticized CBS during his tenure on the show. He pointedly captioned the clip, “You can’t spell CBS without BS.”

And Julia Louis-Dreyfus wrote on Instagram, “I stand with my friend @StephenAtHome,” before quoting journalist David A. Graham, “Institutions that are willing to sacrifice their values for the government’s favor are likely to end up with neither.”

The Late Show has been on the air for more than 30 years, debuting in 1993 with Letterman as host, with Colbert taking over in 2015. CBS and its parent company, Paramount, said cancelling the late-night institution was a “purely financial decision,” and anonymous reports later claimed that the show reportedly cost the network between $40 and $50 million a year.

But others have suggested political pressure was a factor: Paramount is currently trying to merge with Skydance Media, with both companies still awaiting approval from the FCC. Earlier this month, Paramount settled a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump, who claimed CBS’ flagship show, 60 Minutes, engaged in election interference by editing an interview with Kamala Harris. While most legal experts backed 60 Minutes to prevail in the suit, reporting suggested that some Paramount executives — including controlling shareholder Shari Redstone — favored a settlement with Trump, with others believing the lawsuit was a hindrance to securing the Trump admin’s approval on the merger.

That thinking has extended to The Late Show cancellation. Trump is, of course, a frequent target of Colbert, and the decision to cancel The Late Show came not long after Colbert criticized Paramount’s decision to settle the 60 Minutes lawsuit with Trump for $16 million.