By Jim Mishler | Monday, 03 November 2025 04:13 PM EST
In his GQ “Men of the Year” interview that came out Monday, late-night host Stephen Colbert criticized CBS’ payment to Donald Trump as a “big fat bribe.” The network canceled Colbert’s late show in July. He revealed he had known about two months prior to the announcement that the show would end. The report noted that CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, had recently completed a $16 million payout to Trump over a “60 Minutes”-related lawsuit.
CBS executives described the cancellation as a financial decision, stating it was unrelated to Trump, Colbert’s content, or other corporate matters. Colbert mocked the settlement on air, calling it a “big fat bribe” in legal terms. In the GQ interview, he defended his remark, asserting his satire targeted power rather than politics and that networks “should expect a little discomfort.”
The article portrayed Colbert as weary but resolute, stating the cancellation provided him with “oxygen back into [his] brain” after years of nightly political combat. He described his long run as both a gift and a burden, noting, “The sewer gets in you after a while.” Colbert credited CBS executives with possibly saving his life, citing the personal toll of constant exposure to political tension.
He emphasized comedy’s importance, stating, “A laughing audience is the best medicine.” The piece linked the show’s end to timing and perception, noting CBS executives were finalizing a merger with Skydance Media while handling Trump’s settlement. Colbert’s on-air joke and the corporate payout occurred within days, suggesting his firing will remain tied to whether satire again challenges power too closely.
