David Letterman Accuses CBS of Deception in Stephen Colbert's Late Show Cancellation

David Letterman isn't holding back about CBS's decision to pull the plug on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

The 79-year-old former network late-night host has come forward with a candid critique of the cancellation, which will see Colbert's long-running program sign off on May 21. In remarks to the New York Times, Letterman directly challenged the network's public rationale for the move.

CBS initially attributed the cancellation to financial considerations, but Letterman rejected that explanation outright. According to his account, the real driver behind the decision involved the sale of the network to Skydance.

"He 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?' I'm just going to go on record as saying: They're lying," Letterman told the publication.

He then sharpened his criticism further, adding: "Let me just add one other thing. They're lying weasels."

Letterman did acknowledge broader industry headwinds affecting television broadly. "All of television seems to have been nicked by digital communication and streaming platforms…TV may be not the money machine it once was," he noted. Yet he raised a different consideration beyond pure economics: "On the other hand, what about the humanity for Stephen and the humanity of people who love him and the humanity for people who still enjoyed that 11:30 respite?"

The Colbert cancellation marks one of several television show cancellations CBS has enacted this year.