Roseanne Barr stirred conversation Tuesday night after posting an unusual image of The Late Show host Stephen Colbert and radio icon Howard Stern wearing matching bikinis on a beach. The actor, a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, offered no caption or explanation for the post.
The image, believed to be AI-generated, appeared to reference ongoing speculation about Stern’s long-running SiriusXM program potentially ending. Requests for comment from representatives for Barr, Colbert, and Stern went unanswered.
A recent report from the U.S. Sun claimed that SiriusXM might cancel The Howard Stern Show when Stern’s current five-year, $500 million contract expires in late 2025. While not directly addressing the rumors, Stern assured listeners the following day that he would return after his usual summer break.
“We will be back, though, very soon,” Stern said. “We’ll be back on the air, live. I’ve been refueling, so to speak.” In a separate shake-up in late-night television, CBS canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last month, citing financial reasons. “This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night,” the network said in a statement.
“It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount.” The timing of Colbert’s cancellation drew attention from his supporters, as it came soon after he criticized Paramount, CBS’s parent company, for settling a $16 million lawsuit with Donald Trump.
“As someone who has always been a proud employee of this network, I’m offended, and I don’t know if anything will ever repair my trust in this company,” Colbert said on air. “But just taking a stab at it, I’d say $16 million would help.”
The Writers Guild of America also questioned the decision, issuing a statement that read, “The Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Show’s cancellation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration.”
Although Barr often praises Trump, she has previously claimed that his administration kept her at arm’s length. In a January interview with Variety, she said, “The Trump administration regards me as a loose cannon, which I am. I’m not a party line person for anyone or anything except myself.
The Trump staff or whoever runs it, they’re a little afraid of me. I am a loudmouth comedian, so I understand it. But it really hurt my feelings. But what are you gonna do?” The post, blending political undertones with celebrity satire, has become the latest example of Barr’s unpredictable public persona.