Bruce Springsteen has paid tribute to Stephen Colbert on the second-to-last edition of The Late Show. The show, which has been hosted by Colbert for 11 seasons, will be retired after a marathon final episode this evening (May 21).
The Late Show was officially cancelled due to financial pressures, with broadcaster CBS stating that the program was losing tens of millions of dollars annually.
However, the decision sparked significant scepticism, with many claiming the decision was politically motivated. The cancellation was announced just days after Colbert mocked a $16 million settlement paid to US President Donald Trump by CBS's parent company, Paramount, calling it "a big fat bribe."
"I am here tonight in support of Stephen, because you're the first guy in America who's lost his show because we've got a president who can't take a joke," says Springsteen. "And because Larry and David Ellison [the father and son duo who serve as the financial backer and CEO of Paramount] feel the need to kiss his ass to get what they want.
"Stephen, these are small-minded people who've got no idea what the freedoms of this beautiful country are supposed to be about. This is for you."
Springsteen then plays a haunting version of Streets of Minneapolis, his song honouring the memory of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two civilians shot and killed by ICE agents in the city.
The final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs on Thursday, May 21, at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT. It will be replaced by Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen.
