FOLKS, THIS IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE FOR
ME.
MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS A COANCHOR OF "CBS THIS MORNING"
WHO MADE NEW THIS WEEK WITH HER INTERVIEW OF R. KELLY.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO THE LATE SHOW, OUR FRIEND GAYLE KING.
(APPLAUSE) >> HELLO!
HELLO, STEPHEN COLBERT.
>> Stephen: THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> I'M GLAD TO BE ARE HERE.
>> Stephen: THIS MORNING, YOU HAD A BIG WEEK, THE SHOW HAD A
BIG WEEK.
EVERYBODY IS TALKING ABOUT, EVEN MANY OF YOUR COLLEAGUES, WE HAD
WILLIE GEIST HERE TONIGHT, HE WAS LIKE ALL HAIL GAYLE BECAUSE
YOU HAD AN AMAZING SPER VIEW WITH R KEL'S.
>> YES, CAN I SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENED TO ME BACKSTAGE, IN THE
GREEN ROOM ELTON JOHN CALLED ME.
IN THE GREEN ROOM, I PICK UP THE PHONE, I PICK UP THE PHONE T WAS
A 212 NUMBER, I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS WORK
BECAUSE WE ARE WORK ON A SPECIAL.
I THOUGHT IT WAS WORK.
HE GOES GAYLE, IT IS ELTON HERE, I WENT ELEVATORTON JOHN, HI,
ELTON, HE WAS TALKING TO TALK ABOUT THE R. KELLY INTERVIEW.
JUST NOW.
>> Stephen: THAT IS NICE, HE CALLS A LOT.
MAY I ADJUST THAT, THERE WE GO.
>> COLBERT STYLING.
>> Stephen: THAT IS WHAT I DO, I PROVIDE THAT FOR MY GUEST.
>> I LIKE IT, I LIKE IT.
>> Jon: >> Stephen: NOW DID YOU HAVE
ANY IDEA.
HAD YOU MET R. KELLY BEFORE.
>> I MET HIM FIVE AREAS AGO AT A BIRTHDAY PARTY IT IS ONE OF
THOSE THINGS WHERE YOU SAY HI, HI, HI.
I DIDN'T WANT TO BE ONE OF THOSE GUY THRAS GOES WE MET FIVE YEARS
AGO.
I HAD NO RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
>> Stephen: NO IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT, THE ENERGY.
>> YOU DID GO TO SEE HIM 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE INTERVIEW, TO
HIS APARTMENT.
SO I WENT-- TRUMP TOWER IN CHICAGO.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> IN CHICAGO.
SO I WENT 15 MINUTES BEFORE TO SAY HI.
YOU KNOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY AND LET YOU TELL
YOUR STORE HEE.
HE WAS SITTING IF SWEAT PANTS, GOT A CHRISTMAS TREE UP IN THE
HOUSE, THAT HE KEEPS, HE HAD THE CHRISTMAS TREE UP SINCE 1993 AS
A TRIBUTE TO HIS MOTHER.
HE LOVES HIS MOTHER.
IT WAS HER FAVORITE HOLIDAY, SHE PASSED AWAY.
HE HAD IT UP.
IT WAS VERY HOT, HE WAS RESTING HIS VOICEK SITTING IN SWEAT
PANTS.
I SAID WE ARE HERE.
FOR THE STORY.
HE SAID WELL, I'M READY TO TALK.
I'M GOING TO CHANGE, BECAUSE HE HAD ON SWEATS.
I WILL PUT ON A SUIT.
I I GO YOU ARE GOING TO PUT ON A SUIT.
>> HE SAID YEP, AND I WILL BE DOWN.
>> BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME TO SIT WITH HIM
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION, YOU KNOW, YOU WALK IN, FOUR CAMERAS,
LOTS OF LIGHTS.
I DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE LIKE THAT.
>> Stephen: YOU DIDN'T WANT HIM TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE, YOU
WANTED SOME RELATIONSHIP.
>> I DID I WANT TO AT LEAST HAVE SAID HELLO.
>> Stephen: HE DID PUT ON A SUIT.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: AND JUST ABOUT BUSTED OUT IT.
THAT SU AND R. KELLY RIGHT THERE.
HE IS GIVING A SPEECH TO THE MULT TEUD AND ARE YOU-- EVERYONE
IS MARVELING, INCLUDING MYSELF AT YOUR COMPOSE SURE IN THIS
MOMENT.
WHAT IS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND AT THIS MOAVMENT BECAUSE YOU
LOOK LIKE A GRAPH ENIMAGE FROM A TEMP E89 OR SOMETHING.
>> IN IS THE THING.
I COULD SEE HIM GETTING MORE HEATED.
HE WAS UPSET WITH ME ABOUT AM SOV THE QUESTIONS, THAT IS OKAY.
HE WAS A LITTLE IRSTATE-- IRRITATED.
THAT IS OKAY.
THE PICTURE WAS TAKEN BY MY MAKEUP GUY WHO AS YOU SEE SAY
REALLY GOOD PHOTOGRAPHER.
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HE WAS IN THE ROOM TAKING PICTURES.
SO WE ARE SITTING THERE, AND LAZARUS IS SNAPPING AWAY, HE
TOOK 800 PICTURES THAT NIGHT, THINK ABOUT THAT.
SO WHEN I SEE ROBERT GETTING REALLY UP ET AND-- UPSET AN
STANDS OUT OF HIS SEAT, MY INITIAL REACTION IS MY GOD,
PLEASE DON'T LEAVE, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE.
WE HAD SEEN HIM STORM OUT OF INTERVIEWS BEFORE.
AND SO I WAS THINKING I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ASK MY QUESTIONS, SO
I THOUGHT WHAT CAN I DO TO SAVE THE INTERVIEW, I THOUGHT IF I
SAT THERE QUIETLY AND MAKE EYE CONTACT, THE MINUTE IF I STOOD
UP AND SAY CALM DOWN, YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE UPSET AND SOMEONE
GOES CALM DOWN, AND YOU GO I AM CALM SLM I FIGURED THAT WOULD BE
WORSE, I FIGURED IT I SAT THERE QUIETLY, HE WOULD KNOW I'M'S NOT
GOING ANYWHERE AND HE WILL FINISH WHATEVER THIS IS AND THEN
SIT BACK DOWN AND HE DID THAT.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE A CLIP.
>> IS THIS CAMERA ON ME.
Y'ALL KILLING ME WITH THIS [BLEEP]!
>> ROBERT-- SHALL.
>> Stephen: THAT ROBERT, IT'S NOW INSTANTLY LEGENDARY, ROBERT.
>> I KNOW.
>> Stephen: EVERYBODY WHO FREAKS OUT AT ANYBODY FROM NOW
ON OUT, IF ANYBODY YELLS AT ME, ANYBODY YELLS AT ME FOR THE NEXT
YEAR, I'M JUST GOING TO GO, ROBERT.
>> STEPHEN, I.
>> I THOUGHT IF WE HAD BOTH GOTTEN EMOTIONAL ANSWERS WHAT
WHAT WOOD GOO DOMENT YOU KNOW WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS YOUR NAME
STRKS SOOTHING.
I WILL SAY HIS NAME, HE WILL KNOW I AM HERE AND EVENTUALLY
SIT BACK DOWN, WHICH HE DID.
WHICH HE DID.
>> Stephen: WERE YOU AT ANY MOMENT.
>> AFRAID?
>> Stephen: WORRIED ABOUT YOUR SAFETY.
>> LISTEN, I NEVER THOUGHT THAT HE WAS GOING TO HURT ME OR HIT
ME.
I NEVER EVER THOUGHT THAT.
WHAT I WAS WORE HEIED ABOUT IS THAT HE WAS FLAILING AND HITTING
HIS FIST SO VIOLENTEDLY.
I WAS WORRIED HE WOULD ACCIDENTALLY HIT ME.
BUT I NEVER THOUGHT HE WANTED TO HURT ME IN ANYWAY.
AND I DON'T WANT TO ACCIDENTEDDALLY GET HIT EITHER,
GUYS.
I DIDN'T WANT THAT.
>> Stephen: NOT AT ALL.
>> I WAS WORE HEIED ABOUT THAT.
BUT DID I THINK THAT HE WAS GOING TO HURT ME, NO, I REALLY
DIDN'T.
SO I WASN'T AFRAID ABOUT THAT.
IF YOU COULD HAVE SEEN THE THOUGHT BUBBLE T WOULD HAVE BEEN
U OH, PLEASE, PLES, SILT BACK DOWN, ARE YOU LOOKING CRAZY,
PLEASE SIT BACK DOWN.
>> Stephen: YOUR FAMILY.
>> FAVORITE DAUGHTER SON, OPRAH CALLED WE WERE VERY WORRIED.
I GUESS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT PICTURE IT IS VERY MENACING.
>> Stephen: ST. >> IT IS VERY MENACING.
>> Stephen: IT IS, YEAH.
>> BUT I REALLY WASN'T WORE HEIED.
>> Stephen: I ADMIRE YOUR COMPOSURE AND FOCUS.
I GET RATTLED AT THE DROP OF A HAT.
>> THANKS.
>> Stephen: YOU ARE RATTLING ME.
>> YEAH, RIGHT.
, YEAH.
(APPLAUSE).
>> Stephen: NOW YOU HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF PROPS FOR THIS,
A LOT OF PRAISE FOR THIS ACROSS-THE-BOARD FROM FELLOW
JOURNALISTS AS WELL.
WERE YOU HAPPY TO HEAR THAT FOX NEWS JESSIE WATERS.
>> OH MY GOD.
>> Stephen: GAVE YOU PROPS.
>> OH MY GOSH, STEPHEN, I CON BELIEVE THIS.
>> Stephen: AFTER THAT JUSSIE SMOLLETT INTERVIEW YOU DID.
HE MISS TOOK YOU.
>> FOR ROBYN ROBERTS.
>> Stephen: YES.
>> SO MANY PEOPLE STARTED SENDING THIS TO ME, I DON'T
NORMA LEE WATCH FOX NEWS UNLESS I'M CURIOUS, SO I WAS SENT THIS,
AND DANA STOOD UP FOR ME AND SAID THAT WASN'T ROBYN ROBERTS,
THAT WAS GAYLE KING.
SO I EMAILED DANA WHO I DON'T KNOW.
I GOT HER EMAIL AND I SAID HI, JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR
LETTING YOUR COLLEAGUES THAT ROBIN ROBERTS AND I, IT WAS A
GREAT COMPLIMENT BUT THANK YOU FOR LETTING THEM KNOW THAT WE
ARE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
AND COULD YOU LET THE REST OF YOUR COLLEAGUES KNOW THAT ALL
BLACK PEOPLE DO NOT LOOK ALIKE.
COULD YOU PLEASE JUST SHARE THAT.
YES, I DID.
I SAID THAT TO HER (APPLAUSE).
>> Stephen: IT'S GOOD TO FLOW. A GOOD REMINDER.
>> AND DANA WAS SAID IT IS SO NICE TO MEET YOU.
>> Stephen: SHE WROTE BACK SO NICE TO MEET YOU.
>> DANA SAID LISTEN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LITTLE JOKE ABOUT T I
HOPE TO MEET HER ONE DAY BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY NICE OF
HER TO DO.
BECAUSE THE GUY SAID ROBIN ROBERTS, GAYLE KING, I JUST
THOUGHT OKAY, ALL RIGHT, IT'S OKAY.
>> Stephen: YEAH, IT'S NOT OKAY BUT IT'S OKAY.
>> RIGHT, RIGHT.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK.
YOU CAN STICK AROUND, YOU STICK AROUND BECAUSE WE HAVE A CLIP
FROM TOMORROW NIGHT'S SPECIAL OF THE INTERVIEW WITH GAYLE AND R.
KELLY THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.