David Letterman and Stephen Colbert Trash CBS Furniture in Rooftop Revenge Stunt

Former Late Show host David Letterman made a surprise appearance on Stephen Colbert’s final broadcast to protest CBS’s decision to cancel the program. In a blistering segment at the Ed Sullivan Theater, Letterman criticized the network and its new ownership under Paramount Global and Skydance Media. The duo expressed their anger by hauling set furniture, including couches, a wedding cake, watermelons, and Colbert’s desk chair, to the roof of the theater. They then hurled these items onto a giant CBS logo on the street below, describing the act as the wanton destruction of CBS property. Letterman delivered a profane farewell to CBS executives, quoting Edward R. Murrow with an added expletive. The stunt highlighted ongoing controversy regarding the cancellation, which CBS attributed to financial losses, while critics like Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel suggested it was politically motivated due to Colbert’s criticism of Donald Trump during a sensitive merger period. The event combined nostalgia for the long-running franchise with sharp rebuke of corporate decisions affecting late-night television.