Stephen Colbert Returns to Social Media for Sweetest Reason After The Late Show Cancellation

Stephen Colbert broke his social media silence for one very sweet and oh-so sentimental reason.

Colbert, 62, returned to social media for the first time in several weeks on Sunday, July 19, taking to Instagram to share a photo of his adorable pooch resting on a chair.

“Happy 7th Birthday, Benny,” Colbert wrote in text over the pic of the dark brown Boykin Spaniel, marking his four-legged family member’s special day.

Colbert’s post comes nearly two months after he said goodbye to The Late Show With Stephen Colbert following its cancellation by CBS.

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Former The Daily Show correspondent and beloved late night host Stephen Colbert shocked fans in July 2025 when he announced that CBS has decided to end The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — and the late night program overall — in May 2026. The surprising move retired the longtime late night franchise, launched by David […]

The network announced in July 2025 that the show would be ending, with the network sharing at the time that the decision was not “related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount” but was instead due to finances. Colbert broke his silence on the cancellation at the time.

“Before we start the show I want to let you know something that I found out just last night. Next year will be our last season,” he said during a July 2025 taping as the audience booed. “I share your feelings. It’s not just the end of our show, but it’s the end of The Late Show on CBS. I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away.”

He continued, “I do want to say that the folks at CBS have been great partners. … And I’m grateful to the audience, you, who have joined us every night, in here, out there and all around the world.”

In the show’s final episode, Colbert shared a message to fans.

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“I talked to the audience beforehand, and tonight I thought I’d talk to the audience in here [the Ed Sullivan Theater] and the audience out there at home,” he said in May. “This show, I want you to know, has been a joy for us to do for you. In fact, we call this show The Joy Machine because to do this many shows, it has to be a machine.”

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Colbert, who took over as host of The Late Show on CBS in 2015 and succeeded David Letterman, went on to thank fans for watching the show through the years.

“I just want to let all y’all know in here and out there how important you’ve been to what we have done. The energy that you’ve given us, we sincerely need that to have done the best possible show we could have for you for the last 11 years,” he said. “You’ve given it to us, we’ve given it all right back to you.”

He continued, “We love doing this show for you, but we really, really love is doing the show with you. Now, I’ll say to you what I’ve said to every audience for the last 11 years, and I’ve meant it every time: Have a good show. Thanks for being here. And let’s do it, y’all.”