Stephen Colbert Trashes CBS Response to Unaired Interview, Says Network Released Statement 'Without Even Talking to Me'

The late night host said he doesn't want an "adversarial relationship" with his network after lawyers advised him against airing his James Talarico interview

NEED TO KNOW

• Stephen Colbert doesn’t want an “adversarial relationship” with CBS after he says the network released a statement without “even talking to me”
• He previously claimed on the Monday, Feb. 16 episode of The Late Show that lawyers for CBS warned him he “could not” air an interview with Rep. James Talarico, a Texas Democrat running for Senate, citing an FCC rule
• Talarico’s unaired interview with Colbert appeared on the show’s YouTube channel, where it has garnered over 5 million views as of Feb. 18

Stephen Colbert says he doesn't want an "adversarial relationship" with CBS as he claims that the network released a statement about his unaired James Talarico interview "without even talking to me."

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert host, 61, responded to CBS during his Tuesday, Feb. 17 show — one day after his interview with the Texas Senate candidate never made it to air following guidance from the network's lawyers.

Colbert previously claimed that CBS' lawyers said he "could not have" Talarico on the broadcast following an FCC warning over its "equal time" rule (a rule recently reinforced by the FCC about late-night shows providing equal airtime for multiple candidates when interviewing political figures).

In response, CBS said in a statement shared with PEOPLE that Colbert's show "was not prohibited by CBS" from broadcasting the interview and was "provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett."

Now, during his Tuesday show, Colbert held up a printed copy of CBS' statement, crumpled it up, placed it in an apparent dog-waste bag and presumably tossed it in the garbage. He responded to the statement moments before.

"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," he began.

"Fellas, I am well aware that we can book other guests. I didn't need to be presented with that option," Colbert added. "I've had Jasmine Crockett on my show twice. I could prove that to you but the network won't let me show you her picture without including her opponents. So I'll have to show you this picture of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein instead."

Colbert continued, noting that The Late Show "obeyed our network" and put the interview on YouTube, adding: "I wish we could've put it on the show, where no one would have watched it."

"Here's where I do want to tell the lawyers how to do their jobs. They know damn well that every word of my script last night was approved by CBS' lawyers, who for the record approve every script that goes on the air," Colbert said. "… Between the monologue I did last night and before I did the second act talking about this issue, I got called backstage to get more notes from these lawyers. Something that had never, ever happened before."

He added, "They told us the language they wanted me to use to describe that equal-time exception. And I used that language. So I don't know what this is about. For the record, I'm not even mad. I really don't want an adversarial relationship with the network. I never had one."

Colbert then reiterated that he was "grateful to have worked for CBS for the last 11 years" and that he's "so surprised that this giant, global corporation would not stand up to these bullies."

"Come on, you're Paramount. No, you're more than that. You're Paramount+," he joked. "Plus what? I guess we're all gonna find out pretty soon."

He concluded, before ultimately trashing the statement, "And for the lawyers to release this without even talking to me, it was really surprising."

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On Monday, Colbert — whose long-running Late Show will air its final episode in May — told his audience that he was advised by CBS' lawyers that he could not broadcast his Talarico interview.

His comments came a month after FCC chairman Brendan Carr released a public notice, warning that shows like Colbert's should provide equal airtime for candidates from different parties when interviewing political figures, despite a years-long exception for similar late-night talk shows.

Notably, former Tonight Show host Jay Leno's 2006 interview with then-gubernatorial candidate in California Arnold Schwarzenegger led to a ruling where the FCC decided it was "not subject to those equal-time" rules.

On Wednesday, Jan. 21, Carr, 47, posted a release to X to remind both daytime and late-night TV programs of what he called an "obligation to provide all candidates with equal opportunities." He claimed some shows may have been "ignoring or misreading the law in recent years."

"Well, sir, you're chairman of the FCC, so FCC you," Colbert said in response to Carr, who claimed some shows were "motivated by partisan purposes."

"Because I think you are motivated by partisan purposes yourself. Sir, ya smelt it 'cause ya dealt it," he added. "You are Dutch-ovening America's airwaves. Let's just call this what it is: Donald Trump's administration wants to silence anyone who says anything bad about Trump on TV because all Trump does is watch TV."

In a statement, CBS told PEOPLE on Tuesday that 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, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled," the statement read. "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.”

Talarico's unaired chat with Colbert later appeared on the show's YouTube channel, where it has brought in over 5 million views as of Wednesday morning. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs weekdays on CBS at 11:35 p.m. ET.

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