Stephen Colbert expressed his regret for making jokes about Kate Middleton's absence on the latest episode of his US talk show on Tuesday (March 26).
The broadcaster previously mocked the disappearance of the Princess of Wales and joined conspiracy theories surrounding her absence from public life before announcing the 42-year-old's cancer diagnosis.
Since the revelation, a number of famous faces have expressed remorse for joking about her circumstances, including actor Blake Lively and journalist Owen Jones, and Kim Kardashian has also come under pressure to issue an apology.
Colbert, 59, said he was aware he had “upset people” even before the diagnosis was announced.
“A lot of my jokes have upset people in the past, and I'm sure some of my jokes will upset people in the future,” he said.
“But there's a standard I try to live up to, which is that I don't trivialize someone else's tragedy.”
He wished the princess a speedy recovery.
“Even though I'm sure they don't need it from me, I and everyone else are here Late Show He added: “We would like to express our good wishes and sincere hopes that her recovery will be quick and comprehensive.”
The American talk show host wished the princess a speedy recovery
(CBS/BBC Studios)
In a previous episode of his talk show, Colbert alluded to the conspiracy theories surrounding Kate's absence from the public and the photogenic gaffe that exacerbated them.
He joked about the situation: “To put an end to this scandal, the palace released the original photo of Princess Kate, skating on top of a tiger.”
He also provided a detailed segment on the infidelity rumors surrounding Prince William.
The comedian shared a photoshopped photo of the princess surfing on top of a tiger
(CBS/The Late Show with Stephen Colbert)
In his apology, the broadcaster seemed to be defending himself because of his coverage of a topic that “everyone is talking about.”
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He said: “I tell jokes about many different things, most of them are what everyone is talking about, and for the past six weeks to two months everyone has been talking about the mystery of Kate Middleton's disappearance from public life.”
Colbert is one of many celebrities who have shared rumors and conspiracy theories regarding Kate's absence, with several issuing apologies following her cancer announcement.
gossip girl Star Blake Lively was one of the first to say sorry, referring to a since-deleted post that appeared to mock the edited photo Kate posted on Mother's Day.
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