'Late Show' Cue Card Writer Fired For Assaulting Colleague
Stephen Colbert hasn't even taken over yet as host of the Late Show, and yet he's coming onto a show packed to the gills with controversy already.
Tony Mendez, the Late Show cue card writer who's made multiple on-screen appearances since joining the show in 1993, has been abruptly fired from the show after physically assaulting staff writer Bill Scheft.
The Hollywood Reporter has the details:
On Oct. 8, Mendez was rehearsing with Scheft and David Letterman in the host's dressing room. Mendez didn't appreciate Scheft interrupting him, and so he snapped at Scheft: "I know what I'm doing! Get off my back."Letterman then called Mendez out for his sour disposition, and Mendez fired back at the host, "You’re the one who has the sour disposition, motherf—er."
The next day, when Mendez saw Scheft in the office, he grabbed Scheft by the shirt and threw him against the wall. At that point, Late Show executive producer Rob Burnett informed Mendez that his position was terminated.
In the aftermath of his firing, Mendez has been contrite, telling the New York Post, "I know I shouldn’t have put my hands on him." However, Mendez noted that he often felt undermined by Scheft, which created a long-standing grudge between the two colleagues that finally culminated in the physical confrontation. "This [altercation] has been coming for a long time."
That said, Mendez isn't sour about his Late Show experience. In particular, he has nothing but kind words for David Letterman, calling the comedian "the best, the most generous boss I have ever had."
I've seen plenty of segments with Mendez over the years, and while I can't say he was ever the most memorable part of Late Show, I certainly didn't mind his presence. Ultimately, while this sucks for Mendez, I don't think anyone would argue he wasn't out of line for putting his hands on a colleague. You'd think there'd be some better way for two grown adults to iron out their issues without things devolving into a WorldStarHipHop video, but I guess even Hollywood has its occasional playground altercations. Still, what a silly thing to lose a job over. It's a shame cooler heads couldn't prevail. Granted, if this had been "coming for a long time," as Mendez states, then it was pretty much inevitable that Mendez would either leave the show or wind up getting himself fired. So I suppose it's better off it happened now than later, with further years of repressed anger and tension underneath it.
Credit: CBS