Stephen Colbert Opens Up About the Devastating Loss of His Father

Stephen Colbert's father and brothers lost their life in a plane crash when he was only 10 years old. The comedian discusses the trauma for the first time. Stephen Colbert's father and two brothers died in a plane crash on September 11, 1974. Doesn't ring a bell? It's not an incident. The television show host

Stephen Colbert's father and brothers misplaced their lifestyles in a plane crash when he was once most effective 10 years outdated. The comedian discusses the trauma for the first time.

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Stephen Colbert's father and two brothers died in a plane crash on September 11, 1974. Doesn't strike a chord? It's no longer an incident. The tv show host has refused to discuss this deeply non-public matter for many years. 

Until now. As an interview with Anderson Cooper finds, the comic in any case felt assured sufficient to brazenly deal with the sensitive factor publicly.

Stephen, 55, is a long way from the best celebrity to hesitate to discuss youth traumas — Kim Kardashian waited till 2019 to speak about the death of her father on digicam and Mindy Kaling has secretly dreaded each and every Mother's Day until the start of her daughter, Katherine.

So, what happened to Stephen Colbert's father and brothers?

Stephen sat right down to in spite of everything open up about the chilling incident by which his father, James, and siblings misplaced his existence in an intimate-feeling, 60-minute long interview on Anderson Cooper 360

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Stephen with his spouse Evie and daughter Madeleine.

The talk display hosts touched on a wide range of topics throughout the friendly and confidential conversation, like Stephen's Christian upbringing, his unending admiration for the work of Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien, and of route, the tragedy Stephen best came to phrases with after he turned 18 years old. 

As it turned out, Stephen is just as beneficiant with insightful concepts as he usually is with jokes. 

“It’s a present to exist, and with lifestyles comes suffering. There’s no escaping that. I don’t want it to have took place. I would like it not to have happened, however if you are grateful to your existence — which I feel is a good thing to do, now not everybody is, and It's not that i am always however it is the most positive thing to do — then you must be glad about all of it. You can’t pick out and select what you might be thankful for." 

Stephen spent decades grappling with the death of his father. 

As it was revealed during the interview, Stephen's father and brothers — Peter and Paul —died on their way from Charleston, SC to Chicago, IL, among 72 other passengers. The tragic incident left a lasting imprint on the world view of the 10-year-old boy: raised in the loving company of 11 siblings. 

Stephen is the youngest child of James and Elizabeth Colbert. His surviving siblings include James III, Edward, Mary, William, Margo, Thomas, Jay, and Elizabeth. 

Stephen reached out to Jimmy Fallon following the death of his mother. 

In response to the devastating news about the death of fellow late-night comedian Jimmy Fallon's mother, Gloria, Stephen sent out a softly-worded, emphatic tweet. Was this snippet the first time Stephen's revealed his softer side? It's very probable. 

"Mom is the first target market and the best. Remembering Jimmy Fallon and his circle of relatives in our prayers these days," Stephen tweeted in 2017. 

Mom is the first audience and the best. Remembering Jimmy Fallon and his family in our prayers today.

— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) November 5, 2017

As he confirmed at the time, Stephen Colbert isn't all jokes and laughter. Underneath the facade of the quirky comedian lies a solemn, mature man, a reliable supply of recommendation when it comes to tackling anxious losses. 

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