Celebrities rally – Jane Fonda, Mark Hamill, Jimmy Fallon, and others paid tribute to Stephen Colbert after CBS concluded “The Late Show” on May 21 following 11 seasons—while the sudden end also fed new debate about free speech and political pressure around late-night television.
Stephen Colbert’s last night at the desk didn’t just close the lights on CBS. It pulled a spotlight onto what many of his fans—and some of Hollywood’s biggest names—say he stood for: comedy paired with resolve.
On May 21. after 11 seasons. Colbert concluded “The Late Show” on CBS. ending a franchise that traces back to David Letterman and that debuted in 1993. Within hours. tributes started pouring in online from A-listers. including Oscar-winning actress Jane Fonda and “Star Wars” icon Mark Hamill. along with fellow late-night host Jimmy Fallon.
Fonda. 88. added her voice in a video for the Committee for the First Amendment. a collective of artists advocating for free speech. Joined by other outspoken celebrities. she praised Colbert’s blend of humor and conviction and pointed to what her campaign sees as a broader threat to public expression.
“He made us laugh, and he never flinched,” Fonda said in the May 21 video.
Her remarks landed against a backdrop Colbert himself described last July: CBS had canceled his talk show after a decade on the air. The “Late Show” franchise was set to be retired along with Colbert’s cancellation, with Byron Allen’s “Comics Unleashed” slated to fill the time slot.
The cancellation also sharpened attention around the politics of late-night media. Colbert’s removal came as political scrutiny intensified. tied to criticism he’d voiced about CBS’ former parent company. Paramount Global. and its settlement deal with President Donald Trump in a case involving “60 Minutes.”.
Paramount executives said at the time that the change was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night,” and that Colbert’s removal was “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
Stephen Colbert The Late Show CBS Jane Fonda Committee for the First Amendment Mark Hamill Jimmy Fallon Paramount Global President Donald Trump 60 Minutes Byron Allen Comics Unleashed
Wait so they ended it because of politics? Thought it was just ratings.
Jane Fonda speaking up doesn’t surprise me but it’s wild Colbert got yanked so suddenly. Sounds like someone was scared of what he’d say.
I don’t get the whole “free speech” thing, like late night is literally commentary lol. Isn’t Byron Allen just gonna do the same jokes? Also people keep saying Paramount did it for Trump but they said it was “financial” so… which one is it.
This feels like pressure from Trump, not “financial” at all. 60 Minutes settlement, Paramount, CBS… it’s all connected in my head. And now they’re replacing him with that “Comics Unleashed” thing like, okay cool, so comedy is allowed as long as it’s approved. Colbert never flinched though, so I guess they couldn’t tolerate that.