David Letterman Joins Stephen Colbert for Rooftop Stunt After CBS Cancels Late Show

David Letterman returned to the Ed Sullivan Theater on Thursday night and joined Stephen Colbert in a segment that concluded with the pair throwing couches, watermelons, a wedding cake and an office chair off the roof onto a large CBS logo. The appearance occurred days before Colbert's final broadcast, set for May 21.

Letterman addressed the audience after receiving a standing ovation. He joked about being fired by a CBS representative backstage and stated he had every right to be angry about the show's cancellation. At the end of the segment, he directed a message to CBS, saying "To the folks at CBS, in the words of the great Edward R.

" The segment shifted to the rooftop stunt after Letterman asked whether the network owned the furniture on the set. Crew members moved the items to the roof of the Manhattan venue, where they were thrown in what the pair described as the wanton destruction of CBS property.

Letterman, who launched The Late Show in 1993 and hosted it for more than two decades before handing it over to Colbert, said he remained upset over the network's handling of the program. He paid homage to Colbert during the appearance, which drew loud applause from the studio audience.

CBS announced last summer that it would end The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after an 11-year run. The network said the show was losing $40 million a year and described the decision as purely economic. The move came as Skydance Media was merging with CBS parent company Paramount Global.

Former Paramount chair Shari Redstone defended the cancellation last year, stating that late-night television had become financially not viable. She said the decision had been made months prior to the announcement and rejected suggestions that it was politically motivated.

Letterman has repeatedly questioned the financial explanation for the cancellation. Earlier this month, he described the company's owners as lying weasels and suggested the stated rationale was not the full story. He has also praised Colbert for what he called a masterful job confronting political issues on air.

During Thursday's appearance, Letterman reflected on the theater's history, stating that neither he nor Colbert would have been there without his earlier work. He lamented that Colbert's run had come to a screeching halt by other hands and joked about the future of other late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon.

Colbert responded that the two Jimmys would be placed in a captive breeding program. President Trump celebrated Colbert’s cancellation on Truth Social, writing that he absolutely loved that Colbert got fired while saying the comedian had less talent than his ratings.

The Post has sought comment from Paramount Skydance.