Stephen Colbert has broken his social media silence nearly two months after The Late Show’s cancellation.
The former late-night host, 62, posted on Instagram for the first time since his CBS show was pulled from the air. On Sunday, Colbert shared a photograph celebrating his dog’s seventh birthday. “Happy 7th Birthday, Benny,” read a caption on the picture.
Fans shared in the fun, but also posted messages to Colbert, reminiscing about his time as one of America’s most popular TV hosts.
“Miss you Stephen! Please come back!! 🙏❤️,” wrote a fan. “Happy birthday to Benny! And we so miss your master, @colbert for our daily fix,” a comment reads. “Hbd, Benny, we miss your oldesest [sic] human a WHOLE LOT and want to see him ❤️❤️❤️❤️,” said another.
Colbert’s dog, Benny, was a regular fixture on The Late Show. He first debuted on the show in 2019, sitting with the TV host and getting chants of support from the audience. Benny was seen intermittently on set, as shown in a behind-the-scenes video in 2021.
Fans are still mourning Colbert’s show after it ended permanently in May. CBS made the controversial decision to cancel the show last July, sparking accusations that it was bending to MAGA.
The network’s executives stated that the cancellation was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.” The decision was announced just days after Colbert ripped into Paramount, CBS’s parent company, for settling a lawsuit with the Trump administration for millions of dollars. The late-night host deemed the company’s settlement a “big, fat bribe.”
Late-night hosts like Colbert have been a thorn in the side of MAGA and the president himself throughout Donald Trump’s second term. Trump, 80, rejoiced in Colbert’s cancellation and has called for Jimmy Kimmel to be fired, too.
Colbert concluded his 11-year run on The Late Show with an emotional finale.
He is now using his skill for a new passion project. He will be developing a new Lord of the Rings movie for Warner Bros. Studio, as announced by Colbert and LOTR director Peter Jackson in March. Despite speculation, there is no indication about whether he will be returning to the screen anytime soon.
