How did Stephen Colbert’s father and brothers die? What we know amid Anderson Cooper’s tribute to late show host after cancellation

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will air its final episode in May 2026, the host shared the unexpected news on the July 17 episode. CBS’ TV program that was created and originally presented by David Letterman will retire after its season 33 (season 11 for Colbert).

The news came as a shock to many, including Anderson Cooper, who dedicated a segment to Colbert on his CNN news show/podcast. The veteran broadcast journalist, who had 20 appearances on The Late Show between 2016 and 2024 (per IMDB), said,

“Stephen Colbert is smart and he is funny, and he has actual conversations with people on his program. [...]'I've had the pleasure of having with him on his show over the years, sometimes with that guy, Andy Cohen. [...] But I think the thing that so many of us love about Stephen Colbert is that he is at heart an incredibly decent human being, with an amazing wife and family and strong faith.”

The Anderson Cooper 360° host recalled his 2019 conversation with The Colbert Report creator about the loss of his dad and two siblings. The journalist shared that Stephen lost his father, James, and brothers in a plane crash when he was 10.

James William Colbert Jr. and his two sons – Paul and Peter – were onboard Eastern Air Lines Flight 212. According to The Charlotte Observer, the crash happened on September 11, 1974, and claimed the lives of 72 people.

Anderson Cooper recalled Stephen Colbert’s heartfelt message on personal loss

In the latest episode of AC360°, the presenter shared a tribute to The Late Show host, following the announcement of its cancellation. Cooper showed a clip from his previous interview with Stephen Colbert, which was shot a few weeks after the death of Cooper’s mother in 2019.

In their previous conversation, the CNN broadcaster got emotional while asking the comedian/political commentator if,

“You told an interviewer that you have learned to, in your words, love the thing that I most wish had not happened. [...] You went on to say what punishments of God are not gifts. Do you really believe that?”

In response, Colbert shared that “it’s a gift to exist” and "suffering" is a consequence of existence. He shared that one cannot escape it and added,

“But I didn't learn it, that I was grateful for the thing I most wish hadn't happened, is that I realized it. And it's an oddly guilty feeling. [...] I don't want it to have happened. I want it to not have happened. But if you are grateful for your life, which I think is a positive thing to do, not everybody is, and I'm not always, but it's the most positive thing to do, then you have to be grateful for all of it.”

Stephen Colbert emphasized that one cannot choose the things they are grateful for and asserted that a person gets “awareness of other people's loss” from their loss. He concluded that suffering allows someone “to love more deeply and to understand what it's like to be a human being.”

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Stephen has served as the host for the second iteration of The Late Show since 2015, after taking over from David Letterman. He was previously a correspondent on The Daily Show and creator/host of The Colbert Report.

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