The beloved American talk show host, Stephen Colbert, is one of eleven siblings. He has often spoken about the impact of his upbringing on his career and personal life. However, tragedy struck the Colbert family when two of his brothers died in a plane crash alongside their father.
Stephen Colbert is also a comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for his satirical news show, "The Colbert Report." The show aired on Comedy Central from 2005 to 2014, and he currently hosts "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on CBS.
The comedian, whose last name is pronounced "col-burt," has been putting smiles and laughter on the faces of his fans for decades. He is from Charleston, South Carolina, and very few know about the tragedies he faced.
Stephen Colbert at the opening night arrivals for "Neal Brennan's Unacceptable" on September 9, 2021, in New York | Source: Getty Images
He came from a large family and lost some of them when he was young. This event profoundly impacted his life and shaped the person he would become. Stephen has also spoken openly about his crisis of faith and how he used it to cope with his loss.
Despite these challenges, he has remained a beloved entertainment industry figure known for his wit, intelligence, and compassion. He continues to entertain audiences with his humor and has become a respected voice in politics and media, using his platform to speak out on issues that matter to him.
Stephen Colbert at the 73rd Emmy Awards on September 19, 2021, in Los Angeles | Source: Getty Images
Stephen Was the Youngest of 11 Kids and Lost Two Brothers and His Dad at Age 10
Growing up, Stephen was the youngest child in the family. They were a family of 13, including his mother and father. When he was ten, tragedy struck, and he lost two of his ten siblings in a plane crash—their father was with them.
The two siblings he lost, Peter and Paul, were the ones he was closest in age to, and after the September 11, 1974 crash, he spent more time alone. While reflecting on those days, in an interview with Anderson Cooper on August 15, 2019, he revealed that he only had flashes of memory of his life before losing his siblings and father.
However, after the crash, he became different and had more vivid memories about life from then till now. In addition, Stephen could vividly remember the music from the summer leading up to their death.
Stephen Colbert at "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on February 28, 2022, in New York | Source: Getty Images
To date, he does not like to hear "Band on the Run" by Paul McCartney and Wings because their music was one of the releases that stuck in his memory. The tragedy shattered him, and with time, he reformed himself in his quiet, grieving world.
With his reformations, the ordinary concerns of childhood were no longer his problem. Over four decades after, he still thinks about his siblings. He sometimes wonders why nobody asked him about them, as he would prefer people share their grief stories rather than just sharing condolence messages.
Stephen Colbert at "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on June 13, 2022, in New York | Source: Getty Images
Despite how he felt, Stephen believes that the bravest thing anyone could do was accept the world the way it is with gratitude. He learned to love the incident because, based on his faith, he realized it's a gift to exist.
However, he also learned that with existence comes suffering, and everyone must know that. Additionally, he believes that once people are grateful for their lives, they can't pick and choose what they want to be thankful for.
Stephen Colbert at the 74th Primetime Emmys on September 12, 2022, in Los Angeles | Source: Getty Images
Stephen Was Alone with His Mom for Years after the Tragedy as His Older Siblings Had Gone to School
Being the last child, Stephen's older siblings were already living away from home, which meant he was alone with his mother for years. He and his mother moved houses, and she sent him to prep school. However, he was still grieving and was unsuccessful in his academics.
He would also disobey his teachers but constantly read books whenever he got home. At some point, he was reading one book per day and loved it when people gifted him books on every occasion.
Stephen Colbert at "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on March 2, 2023, in New York | Source: Getty Images
Stephen Joked That He Raised His Mom When His Dad and Brothers Died
Stephen and his mother had to care for each other. He revealed that the loss shattered his mother, and they would joke that he was raising his mother at that young age.
He believed he was resilient because children are more resilient than adults, as their worldview is not fully formed. However, as he reflects, the comedian knows that, being older, he will not be as resilient as he was as a child.
His mother's love for God also helped her through the trying times. As a Catholic, she would pray to Our Lady Mary, the mother of Jesus, because she also knew what it meant to have lost a child.
Stephen Colbert at "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on March 9, 2023, in New York | Source: Getty Images
One of Stephen's Sisters Ran for a Congressional Seat
Even though Stephen went into faux politics, his older sister, Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, went into politics for real as she ran for Congress in 2013. She ran in a special election to fill a vacant seat in South Carolina's first congressional district but ultimately lost.
His sister is not only a politician but also a businesswoman. She has served as the director of business development at Clemson University's Restoration Institute.
Elizabeth Colbert-Busch at the 33rd Annual Women's Campaign Fund Parties of Your Choice Gala on April 22, 2013, in New York | Source: Getty Images
The mother of three had decided to venture into politics after graduating with a Supply Chain and Logistics degree from the College of Charleston. According to her campaign site at the time, she supported investments in infrastructure and alternative energy.
During Elizabeth's campaign, Stephen Colbert referred to her as an intelligent businesswoman who was saner than the rest of Congress. At the same time, he tagged himself as being expertly absurd as he once had a faux presidential bid.
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