Summary
- Stephen Colbert faced backlash over a Kate Middleton joke, but showed remorse without issuing a direct apology.
- Colbert also received criticism for a Donald Trump joke in 2017, leading to a promise to change his approach.
- Despite media scrutiny, Colbert hasn't stopped targeting Trump and continues with his political commentary.
Time and time again, Stephen Colbert's comments are making headlines. Jimmy Kimmel believes late night shows are going to be obsolete in the future. However, at the moment, the likes of Colbert are still making noise with The Late Show and at times, it isn't for the best of reasons. Colbert has made some harsh jokes in the past, and some jokes even faced legal consequences. Despite that, Stephen always does things his way and in this particular incident, fans noticed the host dancing around an apology, while showing remorse. It was calculated on his part.
It all started with the host questioning Kate Middleton's whereabouts. Backlash would erupt following Middleton's cancer diagnosis. Let's recap how it all went down, and who sent Colbert a legal notice.
Stephen Colbert Showed Remorse For His Kate Middleton Joke But Didn't Apology
Prior to Kate Middleton's devastating cancer diagnosis, Stephen Colbert questioned her whereabouts just months prior. The Late Show host didn't hold back with his interpretation, linking Middleton's disappearance to her husband's infidelity. Colbert said, “The Kingdom has been all a flutter about the seeming disappearance of Kate Middleton. Well now, internet sleuths are guessing that Kate’s absence may be related to her husband, and the future King of England, William, having an affair…According to tabloid, when Kate supposedly confronted him about it, he laughed it off, saying there was nothing to it. Always a good response when your wife accuses you of cheating.”
Making matters worse, Colbert name-dropped Rose Hanbury. “So I think we all know who the alleged other woman is. Say it with me: the Marchioness of Cholmondeley—what a beautiful name!” Hanbury reacted by sending Colbert a legal notice following the joke, and denied Colbert's rumor.
Colbert did address the backlash following MIddleton's diagnosis, but fell short of an apology.
"When I made those jokes, that upset some people…even before her diagnosis was revealed," he said. "I can understand that a lot of my jokes have upset people in the past and some of my jokes will upset people in the future, but there’s a standard that I try to hold myself to, and that is I do not make light of somebody else’s tragedy.”
The host concluded, “I don’t know if her prognosis is a tragic one … regardless of what it is, far too many of us know that any cancer diagnosis of any kind is harrowing for the patient and for their family,” Colbert continued. “Though I’m sure they don’t need it from me, I and everyone here at ‘The Late Show’ would like to extend our well-wishes and heartfelt hope that her recovery is swift and thorough.”
Colbert was clearly wise with his words, and although he wished Kate well, there was no direct apology.
Blake Lively was another celeb that showed remorse for her Kate Middleton comments, but did issue an apology unlike Stephen.
Since then, Colbert has side-stepped the topic of Kate Middleton on his show, and we assume he won't be revisiting it.
Stephen Colbert Also Faced Backlash For A Donald Trump Joke
It wasn't the first time Stephen Colbert landed in hot water over a joke. Back in 2017, he took aim at the President in what many called a homophobic joke towards Donald Trump.
“You have more people marching against you than cancer. You talk like a sign language gorilla that got hit in the head. In fact, the only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin’s c–- holster.”
Donald Trump referred to Stephen Colbert as a "no talent guy" in the past.
There was backlash on X over the joke the same night, though both CBS and Stephen Colbert refused to comment on the matter. Colbert's content about Donald Trump did not subside either and today, he's still going after the Presidential hopeful. However, it did appear as though Colbert was going to hit the brakes on Trump-related slander following the shooting. Stephen stunned fans with a somber monologue, promising he'd change his ways of discussing Trump and other political hopefuls.
"My immediate reaction when I saw this on Saturday were horror at what was unfolding, relief that Donald Trump had lived, and frankly, grief for my beautiful country. In the wake of this attack on Saturday, many Americans on both sides of the aisle — from President Biden to Speaker Johnson — are calling on all of us to change how we see each other, how we treat each other, how we talk to each other."
Colbert concluded, "This week, we’re going to do our best to talk about those ideas, the people who represent those ideas, and many other things with guests, and who knows, if we’re lucky, maybe some fart jokes.”
Once again, there wasn't an apology for Stephen, despite the fact that the media put the blame on the likes of Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers for constantly going after Trump on their late night shows - only welcoming the hate towards the former President. Stephen hasn't lived up to his promise either, as the Trump slander continues.
The Late Show
- Network
- NBC, CBS
- Showrunner
- Christopher Andrew Licht
- Directors
- Jake Plunkett, Jim Hoskinson, Ballard C. Boyd
- Writers
- Emmy Blotnick, Michael Brumm, Nate Charny, Aaron Cohen, Stephen Colbert
- Seasons
- 8
