Stephen Colbert’s secret tragedy that has left him struggling to cope

It was an event for the ages: a fairytale setting packed with celebrity guests, flowing Champagne and a superstar bride.

But when Stephen Colbert was pictured leaving Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Madison Square Garden wedding on Saturday, he looked somber.

Gone was the perky Late Show host who entertained millions for over a decade.

Back in June, it was the same story: with the comedian, 62, looking somewhat weary at the opening ceremony for Barack Obama’s new presidential library in Chicago.

And days before that, Colbert had appeared to force a smile as he posed with his wife Evelyn McGee at at a music event in New York City.

So why the long face? 

Stephen Colbert is said to be burnt out after The Late Show was axed on May 21 

Colbert, 62, looked somber as he left Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding in the early hours on Saturday 

Colbert is said to be burnt out and reeling after The Late Show wrapped in May amid a bitter public rivalry with President Trump who celebrated Colbert’s final episode by declaring: ‘Thank goodness he’s finally gone!’

‘Stephen is so burned out from being on The Late Show for 11 seasons, it took a lot out of him,’ an insider said. ‘Going from working 12-hour days on The Late Show to having a slower lifestyle is such a major change, so he is doing all the right things.

‘He is coming down from the pressure of being on a late show. So, he has been taking time for himself.’

But the shift is not easy.

‘Can you blame him? He worked his ʙuтт off, only to be torn down at every turn,’ the insider said. ‘He had little support, and his humiliation was on an international level for the entire world to see. Now it’s so quiet.’

Fans were left stunned when Colbert announced last summer that CBS would not be renewing his contract, and that they would end the entire late-night franchise after 44 years on the air. Colbert had been at the helm since September 2015.

Days earlier, Colbert seemed to force a smile when posing with his wife Evelyn McGee at the Montclair Film’s Visionary Tribute in New York City 

And in mid June, the comedian looked tired when he stopped by the dedication ceremony for the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago

EXCLUSIVE Raunchy trove of pH๏τos expose Justin Trudeau’s lookalike son Xav – and his inherited family secret

The network claimed it was ‘purely a financial decision,’ but the cancellation came just days after Colbert called CBS parent company Paramount’s $16million lawsuit settlement with President Trump ‘a big fat bribe.’

At the time, Paramount was also in the middle of a multibillion-dollar merger with the movie studio Skydance, which required government approval. 

Trump certainly made no qualms about voicing his disdain for Colbert, claiming he had ‘no talent, no ratings, no life’ when the show bowed out on May 21.

That same day, the official White House account shared an AI-generated video of the president throwing Colbert into a dumpster. The caption read: ‘Bye-bye.’

Their war of words had kicked off back in 2025 when it was announced that the show would be axed.

‘I absolutely love that Colbert got fired,’ Trump wrote. ‘His talent was even less than his ratings.’

Replying on air, Colbert told the president to ‘go f**k yourself.’

These days Colbert is keeping a lower profile, finding comfort in spending time with his wife and their three children – Madeleine, 30, Peter, 28, and John, 24 – at their home in New Jersey.

‘He is coming down from the pressure of being on a late show. So, he has been taking time for himself,’ one insider said, adding that he has been struggling with fatigue

One of his famous friends has been helping direct him toward pᴀssion projects. ‘David Letterman has been a guide for him these days,’ said a separate source (pictured on June 18)

EXCLUSIVE Leaked pH๏τos from Taylor and Travis wedding they didn’t want public to see: Intimate ‘gallery wall’

They live in the affluent suburb of Montclair which boasts Victorian-style mansions, walking paths, quaint parks and a vibrant arts community. ‘Stephen goes to church, grocery shops and hits coffee shops in Montclair, he and his wife are well known and they love it there,’ said our source. 

‘His wife has been his rock, she has been there for him.’

The pair live a ‘low-key’ life in Montclair and are ‘well-liked around town,’ said a separate insider who said the couple ‘love to give back to the community and help promote the arts in New Jersey.’

Their life away from the spotlight has no doubt been a haven after losing The Late Show. 

After all, Colbert admitted to people in May that he now feels CBS ‘saved my life’ by axing it.

‘It takes a lot of bone marrow to do the show every day, and now I’ll be stepping down with enough time, enough energy to do other things that I want to do,’ he said, adding that he is ‘available’ for hire.

And help with what direction to take next has come in the form of a fellow former late show host.

‘David Letterman has been a guide for him these days, he has been a real friend, and is giving him ideas for a major comeback,’ said an insider. ‘They’re throwing ideas around, trying to figure out a good fit.’

‘Stephen is so burned out from being on The Late Show for 11 seasons, it took a lot out of him,’ a source shared (pictured with Jennifer Aniston in September 2025)

The insider added that Colbert is ‘taking some time to decompress before making his next big move.’

‘Rather than rushing into another nightly program, he’s weighing a number of opportunities, including another television show, a podcast, and other projects, knowing he’s in a strong position when it comes to future negotiations,’ the source said.

‘For now, though, he wants to step out of the spotlight. The thinking is simple: if he disappears for a while, his eventual return will feel like an event. He’s even considered timing a major comeback around the period when Donald Trump is no longer in office, allowing him to return with fresh material and a new perspective.

‘He’s still adjusting to the reality that a job he expected to have for many more years came to an end. That doesn’t mean he’s disappearing.’