“I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT ORGANIZATION.” — STEPHEN COLBERT’S ICY CBS RESPONSE CAME AFTER THE NETWORK SEEMINGLY DIDN’T EVEN CONGRATULATE HIM ON HIS EMMY WIN Colbert was laughing and trading jokes with Jimmy Kimmel when the conversation suddenly turned to CBS. Asked whether anyone from the network had contacted him after The Late Show’s Emmy win, Colbert delivered the deadpan line that instantly drew laughs. But Kimmel didn’t leave it there. He brought up what CBS had done for Colbert after ending his 11-year run — and the strangely specific “parting gesture” the network made became an even more revealing punchline.

Stephen Colbert couldn’t let his late-night return go by without a few sharp words for CBS.

One night after The Late Show With Stephen Colbert won its seventh and final Emmy, Colbert completed his victory lap with a visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live, where the titular host inquired about CBS’ response to winning for a show they recently canceled.

“Did anyone from CBS call to congratulate you on your seven Emmys?” Kimmel asked.

Without missing a beat, Colbert quipped, “I am not familiar with that organization.”

Entertainment Weekly has reached out to CBS for comment.

On Monday evening, Colbert’s show won the Outstanding Variety Series Emmy for the second year in a row, beating out Kimmel’s program in addition to The Daily Show, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, and Saturday Night Live. The victory continued another winning streak for the recently canceled program, which also picked up five statuettes for its final season at the Creative Arts Emmys, including awards for writing and directing.

Though Colbert indicated that he didn’t hear a “congratulations” from CBS regarding their six wins, he told Kimmel that he didn’t walk away from the network entirely empty-handed. He was gifted with many of the suits that he donned for the late-night program throughout its 11-season run.

“They sent me 40,” Colbert shared. “They’re just sitting in a guest bedroom. I don’t know what to do with them.”

He joked, “If anyone is, like, just got out of law school and needs a suit, please call Jimmy. He’ll get the message to me.”

Jimmy Kimmel invites Stephen Colbert to guest-host Jimmy Kimmel Live after controversial cancellation

Stephen Colbert addresses whether he’s planning to return to late-night after Late Show cancellation

Elsewhere in their conversation, Kimmel joked that being away from late-night — and not having to report on the news of the day has left Colbert looking “happier and healthier.”

“Like I don’t drink a cup of poison every day?” Colbert replied. “Because part of the job is… the old gig, as I remember it, was to be lowered like carbon rods into a radioactive pool every day. And then to be pulled out and put in front of a camera and to irradiate it back at the audience at a non-lethal rad level.”

Kimmel agreed, “That’s exactly the job description.”

CBS announced in May 2025 that they would not be renewing Colbert’s program, marking the end of his tenure and The Late Show‘s historic 33-year run. The industry rallied around Colbert following the shocking cancellation. Just a few months later, the show picked up its first Emmy win for Outstanding Talk Series, and the host was met with a standing ovation when he walked onstage. There was similarly raucous applause when Colbert won again on Monday.

In his speech, Colbert showered praise upon the Late Show‘s 200-person crew who “threw themselves at this show for 11 years to try to do the best show they possibly could.”

To the room of stars, he added, “The thing about these late shows is that besides being a really good, steady job, is that they require so many people that they’re a fantastic incubator for young people to come in to learn to work professionally on a deadline in cooperation and collaboration, and that is the future of our business that we have to look after.”

Watch Colbert return to late-night for a chat with Kimmel in the clip above.