If there's one thing for sure, Donald Trump is not Bette Midler or Stephen Colbert's "hero."

The Oscar-nominated actress and singer, 79, paid musical tribute to the late-night talk show host – and threw in a wry jab at Colbert's detractor, President Trump – during an appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

"I want to beg you, don't go!" Midler joked to Colbert in an exaggerated pleading tone. She also thanked the Emmy-winning host for "all you did for me for these last nine-and-a-half years," adding, "I would not have made it through without you. I really wouldn't have. You're a voice of sanity and reason and honesty and most important, honor."

Colbert revealed in July that CBS canceled his talk show after an 11-season run, with his final show scheduled for May 2026. ("The Late Show" franchise, which debuted in 1993, will also be retired along with Colbert's cancellation.)

The shocking ouster came amid increasing political scrutiny of Colbert, who'd voiced criticism of CBS' former parent company, Paramount Global, and its settlement deal with Trump in a case involving "60 Minutes."

Bette Midler blasts 'orange' Donald Trump in Stephen Colbert tribute

Midler, who famously performed for late-night TV icon Johnny Carson during his penultimate show, delivered a sassy parody of her 1988 hit "Wind Beneath My Wings," in which she affectionately likened Colbert to "Lord of the Rings" protagonist Frodo Baggins.

"It must have been cold here at 'The Late Show,' despite the high ratings and awards," Midler sang. "You need a gig that's more worthwhile, now that you're more in demand than Epstein's file. Did you ever know that you're my Frodo? You stand for what's right with wit and class. I hold you high as the great eagles, 'cause you never kissed the orange a--."

Although "The Late Show" was the top-rated show in the 11:30 p.m. slot at the time of its cancellation, it was losing a reported $40 million a year. The long-running talk show won two Primetime Emmy Awards in 2025, including outstanding talk series.

Midler concluded: "Fly, fly, fly away, like Gandalf's golden wings! Thank you, thank you! Thank God for you, the lord of all our rings."

Why was Stephen Colbert's show canceled?

A July 17 statement from Paramount Global executives called the move "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," adding that the cancellation was "not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount."

Days before the cancellation announcement, Colbert criticized Paramount Global's controversial $16 million settlement with Trump over a defamation lawsuit tied to a "60 Minutes" interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

Colbert slammed the settlement, widely criticized as a financial concession to the Trump administration in the studio's then-pending sale to Skydance Media, as a "big fat bribe" in a scathing opening monologue.

In a July 18 Truth Social post, Trump celebrated Colbert's show cancellation, writing, "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings."

However, the president clarified in a July 29 post that he was not involved in the talk show's removal from the airwaves.

"Everybody is saying that I was solely responsible for the firing of Stephen Colbert from CBS, Late Night. That is not true!" Trump wrote. "The reason he was fired was a pure lack of TALENT, and the fact that this deficiency was costing CBS $50 million dollars a year in losses — and it was only going to get WORSE!"

Contributing: Bryan Alexander and KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bette Midler roasts Donald Trump in 'Wind Beneath My Wings' parody for Stephen Colbert

Reporting by Edward Segarra, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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