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By Jordan King
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CBS has denied Stephen Colbert's statement that the network did not allow him to air a scheduled interview with Democratic Texas State Representative James Talarico.
The network said it did not "prohibit" Colbert from broadcasting his interview on Monday with Talarico, who is running in Texas' U.S. Senate primary, but "provided legal guidance" and "presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled."
Colbert has since responded, saying that CBS' lawyers released this statement without speaking to him.
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He said he did not want an "adversarial relationship with the network," but added that he was "just so surprised that this giant global corporation would not stand up to these bullies."
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Why It Matters
The dispute comes at a delicate time for the network and Colbert. Last July, CBS announced that it would end The Late Show in May 2026, retiring the entire franchise after more than a decade.
It came days after Colbert publicly criticized a $16 million settlement between CBS's parent company, Paramount Global, and President Donald Trump.
What To Know
Colbert said on Monday's broadcast that network attorneys instructed him "in no uncertain terms" not to air the pulled segment amid fear of retaliation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over its "equal time" rule.
The rule applies to broadcast television and radio stations that operate on public airwaves, requiring them to provide comparable airtime opportunities to all candidates running for a position.
But CBS said in a statement: "The Late Show was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep James Talarico.
"The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates... and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled.
"The Late Show decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the broadcast rather than potentially providing the equal-time options."
Colbert responded on Tuesday, saying: "Now, clearly, this statement was written by and, I’m guessing, for lawyers. Now, I'm not a lawyer, and I don't want to tell them how to do their jobs. But since they seem intent on telling me how to do mine, here we go.
"I am well aware that we can book other guests. I didn't need to be presented with that option. I've had Jasmine Crockett on my show twice. I could prove that to you — I could prove that to you, but the network won't let me show you her picture without including her opponents. So I guess just… I'll have to show you this picture of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein instead."
He went on to say he was "grateful to have worked for CBS for the last seven years," but added: "I'm just so surprised that this giant global corporation would not stand up to these bullies. Come on, you're Paramount! No. No! No, you're more than that. You're Paramount+. Plus what? I guess we're all going to find out pretty soon."
What People Are Saying
Colbert said on Tuesday: "We obeyed our network and put the interview on YouTube, where it's gotten millions of views. And I can see why. Talarico is an interesting guy. I don't know if he should be the senator, but it was a good discussion. I wish we could have put it on the show, where no one would've watched it."
What Happens Next
Colbert's show will conclude its run in May.
Talarico is currently leading the polls for the Democratic primary over Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett. The primary election will be held on March 3.
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