Stephen Colbert's Kate Middleton Jab Makes Him the Target

Stephen Colbert's decision to joke about Prince William affair rumors earlier this month has made the Late Night host the target of criticism and, according to multiple media reports, a legal notice.

On a March 13 episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, the host referenced the rumor in a segment poking fun at the rampant online speculation concerning the Princess of Wales.

Kate was the focus of online gossip and conspiracy theories following her absence from the public eye in January, prompted by her undergoing abdominal surgery. These included widespread theories about her health, her marriage and family.

Subsequently, on March 22, Kate announced to the world that she had been diagnosed with cancer in February and is in the early stages of preventative chemotherapy.

Colbert's segment recounted a rumor which first surfaced in 2019 alleging that the princess' husband had an extra-martial affair with a third party, whom the show host—and subsequently a number of media outlets—referred to by name. Newsweek has not named the third party.

At the time of the rumor's initial surfacing, the Daily Beast reported that official sources at Kensington Palace denied it as "totally wrong and false."

Now, publications In Touch and Vanity Fair are reporting that lawyers acting for the third party have issued the network that airs Colbert's show with a legal notice, denying the allegation.

"We have written on our client's behalf to CBS and various other reputable media organisations to confirm that the allegation is false," the lawyers said, according to In Touch.

Newsweek approached representatives of Colbert and CBS via email for comment. Newsweek has not been able to verify that CBS has been issued with a legal notice.

The development comes as Colbert has faced criticism for his segment in the wake of Kate's announcement of her cancer diagnosis on Friday.

Broadcaster and former newspaper editor Piers Morgan described Colbert's joking at Kate's expense in recent weeks as "distasteful."

"The way certain American talk show hosts like @StephenAtHome mocked the Princess of Wales over her marriage in recent weeks now looks especially distasteful," he said in a post to X (formerly Twitter).

Fox News contributor and political commentator, Joe Concha, also took aim at the show host on X. "Let's be clear on this for all the media reporters out there: Your hero Stephen Colbert went on national television and claimed Kate Middleton was the victim of an affair by her husband. No evidence. Nothing. She has cancer. Will you call this out? Of course not," he said.

In a separate post by another X user, which has been viewed over 400,000 times in less than 24 hours, Colbert is included in a list of other famous names who joked at Kate's expense prior to her cancer announcement.

"Screw Stephen Colbert, Blake Lively and Kim Kardashian," the post said. "Poor woman has cancers and these vile human beings for suggesting disgusting stuff. Kate will always be classy and they will always be trash."

Lively, had posted a photo to social media jokingly referencing the backlash Kate faced earlier this month over editing an official photograph of herself and her three children to celebrate Mother's Day.

Once news broke on Friday of the princess' diagnosis, the actress posted to her Instagram account that she felt "mortified" over the joke.

"I'm sure no-one cares today but I feel I have to acknowledge this," she wrote. "I made a silly post around the 'photoshop fails' frenzy and, oh, man, that post has me mortified today. I'm sorry. Sending love and well wishes to all, always."

A number of celebrities and high profile figures have paid tribute to Kate since her announcement.

Academy Award winner and Welsh-born actress, Catherine Zeta jones posted to Instagram: "Wales and the World is with you, HRH Princess of Wales. Love to you always."

While President Joe Biden took to his official X account to wish the royal well.

"Jill and I join millions around the world in praying for your full recovery, Princess Kate," he wrote.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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