Letterman unloads on 'lying weasels' who axed Colbert's 'Late Show'

David Letterman isn't mincing words about the end of "The Late Show."

The former late-night host, 79, spoke out against CBS' decision to cancel Stephen Colbert's show in an interview with The New York Times published Monday, May 5. Letterman, who hosted "The Late Show" before Colbert took over in 2015, shared his "disbelief" over the cancellation and said he doesn't believe the explanation that axing the show was a financial decision.

Letterman suggested Colbert "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?'"

He added to journalist Jason Zinoman, "I'm just going to go on record as saying: They're lying. Let me just add one other thing, Jason. They're lying weasels."

A CBS spokesperson responded to Letterman's comment by telling the Times that the cancellation of "The Late Show" was "unequivocally a financial decision."

CBS announced the end of "The Late Show" in July. The network's parent company, Paramount Global, described the move as "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," which was "not related in any way to the show's performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount." Critics, though, alleged the cancellation was meant to appease President Donald Trump. Paramount Global was at the time going through a merger with Skydance Media, which required approval from the Trump administration.

The cancellation also came not long after Colbert criticized Paramount for reaching a settlement with Trump after the president brought a defamation lawsuit related to a "60 Minutes" interview on CBS with Kamala Harris. On his show, Colbert called the $16 million settlement a "big fat bribe."

In his own recent interview with The New York Times, Colbert said he understands why people might think the decision to cancel his show was not solely about finances.

"It's possible that two things can be true," he told the Times. "Broadcast can be in trouble. They cannot monetize because of things like YouTube, because of the competition of streaming. They've got the books, and I do not have any desire to debate them over what they say their business model is and how it does not work for them anymore. But less than two years before they called to say it's over, they were very eager for me to be signed for a long time. So, something changed."

Letterman reveals grim prediction for future of late-night TV

In his interview with the Times, Letterman also shared his grim prediction about the future of late-night television, suggesting "The Late Show" is only the first domino to fall. "We still have Jimmy," he said. "We still have Seth [Meyers]. It's not completely dead on arrival, but I would be surprised if it lasts more than a year or so. But it's such an easy soothing format that it's got to stay on."

When asked to clarify if he is predicting late-night TV will cease to exist in the next year or so, Letterman walked back his prediction slightly, saying, "Well, maybe specific shows. I don't think it'll ever go away because it's just the best. It's humans talking to humans."

For his part, former late-night host Conan O'Brien has predicted that the format will not last. "Late-night television, as we have known it since around 1950, is going to disappear," O'Brien said in a speech last year, though he added that "those voices are not going anywhere."

The final episode of Colbert's "Late Show" will air on May 21. CBS will replace the show with Byron Allen's "Comics Unleashed."

Colbert has not fully detailed what he plans to do next, although he has been tapped to write a new film in the "Lord of the Rings" franchise with his screenwriter son.

Contributing: Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY