CBS announced last month that it would not just be ending Colbert's run on the network but retiring the venerable Late Show franchise as a whole after the 2025-26 broadcast season, calling the divisive decision a "purely financial" one "against a challenging backdrop in late night."

"I'm very grateful to him and I think where he goes next, his voice won't be silenced," Batiste told Rolling Stone AU/NZ in a recent interview. "The voice of free speech is challenge, but the soul of an individual cannot be cancelled. He's gonna find another megaphone, another outlet, I'm sure of it. I'm rooting for him."