Ahead of Thursday final show of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, the Committee for the First Amendment, founded by Jane Fonda, released a video commemorating Stephen Colbert and promising to carry the torch he held so high.
Talent who participate in the video include Jane Fonda, Mark Ruffalo, Ariana Debose, Harvey Guillen, Alan Cumming, Sally Field, Yvette Nicole Brown, Connie Britton, Bradley Whitfield, Ted Danson, and Mary Steenburgen.
Here is a link to the Instagram video of the message.
And here is the complete script of the comments:
Today, Stephen Colbert hosts The Late Show for the last time.
He called out CBS for paying off Trump. CBS canceled his show.
I’m going to miss him — and I’m disturbed by what it means that he’ll be gone.
For over a decade on The Late Show, Stephen has used humor to bring us joy while holding power accountable. He has made us laugh, and he has never flinched.
The fact that both CBS and Donald Trump wanted Stephen gone tells you everything you need to know about how much power a comedian with a microphone has right now.
We’ve watched this administration repeatedly try to suppress dissent:
Jimmy Kimmel — suspended. NPR — defunded. The AP, The View, and now The Wall Street Journal — sued, threatened, pressured.
These are not the actions of the powerful. These are the actions of the threatened. And they are attacks on the First Amendment.
That’s why we’re here. That’s why the Committee for the First Amendment exists.
We are actors, directors, storytellers, journalists, and comedians — standing together to fight these attacks as one. If they come for one of us, they come for all of us.
We’re going to keep speaking out, taking action, and using our voices, our work, and our art to carry forward the torch Stephen has held so high.
Stephen — you showed us that the punchline can be an act of resistance.
You stood up courageously, even when it cost you something.
That courage is contagious. And we won’t stop fighting.
Thank you, Stephen.
The Committee for the First Amendment is composed of more than 3,000 actors, writers, journalists, creators, and people in the entertainment industry — all committed to defending the First Amendment and fighting government attempts at censorship.
This is how the Committee describes its work:
“We draw inspiration from the original Committee for the First Amendment, when artists like Lauren Bacall, Lucille Ball, Judy Garland, Humphrey Bogart, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Henry Fonda stood together against attacks on the First Amendment during the darkness of the McCarthy era.
Today, we continue in that spirit: preparing for what’s coming, resisting with non-cooperation—but always non-violence— when needed, and ensuring our collective voice is loud and purposeful in these dangerous times.”
