The Serious Medical Condition Stephen Colbert Lives With

Stephen Colbert knows how to bring the laughs with his dry wit and astute observations. However, Stephen's real-life story is full of tragedy. When he was ten, his two older brothers, Paul and Peter Colbert, and their father, James Colbert were among the 72 fatalities aboard Eastern Airlines flight 212, when it crashed during a forced landing. As the youngest of 11, Stephen was the last kid living at home and was raised by his mother, Lorna Colbert alone. "It was just me and mom for a long time. By her example, I am not bitter," he told GQ. "She [was broken], yes. Bitter, no."

When Lorna died at age 92, Stephen shared a heartfelt tribute. "One week ago today [my mom] died, and I want to thank everybody for their prayers, he said, clearly choking back tears. Stephen admitted that as a trained actress with impeccable comedic timing, Lorna was an inspiration to him and a driving force behind his career. "[Her children] were the light of her life, and she let us know it 'til the end," Stephen said.

However, despite his mom's support following his father and brothers' deaths, Stephen still struggled with mental health issues growing up. Stephen opened up about his struggle with anxiety in an interview with Rolling Stone. "I needed to be medicated when I was younger to deal with my anxiety," he admitted. And now, there's another serious medical condition Stephen Colbert lives with.

Stephen Colbert has suffered a lot of medical issues in his life. He is deaf in his left ear after a tumor was removed. Colbert told The New Yorker that a surgeon "scooped it out with a melon baller," also removing his eardrum. "Now I can't get my head wet. I mean, I can, but I can't really scuba dive or anything like that. So that killed my marine biology hopes," Colbert quipped to Charleston Post and Courier. And now, he's dealing with a whole new ear-related problem.

The "Strangers With Candy" star told Vanity Fair that he's been diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. According to The Mayo Clinic, although BPPV is usually caused by a "minor to severe blow" to the cranium it can also stem from injuries related to ear surgery. The condition results in the "sudden sensation that you're spinning or that the inside of your head is spinning" in addition to dizziness, vomiting, and a loss of balance leading to falls. 

Colbert developed BPPV a week before the 2020 elections. "It's almost entertaining until I forget," he said of the condition. "And then I go to stand up, and then I just fall down. So, I'm coming to you right now from a very weird angle, slightly listing to port." Luckily, the comedian has his wife, Evie McGee, to ensure that he carries out his prescribed exercises.

When it comes to Stephen Colbert's admirers, the biggest of all is his wife. "He taught me the importance of being silly. Being silly is so important. Silly is the opposite of grief. It's throwing yourself into a moment without care," Evie McGill captioned a photo of them at the Met Ball in 2017. McGill concluded by commenting that her husband's swagger is "so sexy."

According to People, it was love at first sight when the couple locked eyes across a crowded theater lobby. "That's your wife. You're going to marry her," Colbert admits telling himself at the time. Sure enough, the writer and producer tied the knot in 1993. They often collaborate on projects and share three kids together, Peter, Madeleine and John Colbert. And the two clearly knows how to keep the sizzle alive in their marriage. They flirted adorably during a 2020 segment of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." After some brief role play, Colbert admitted, "I'm not afraid to admit I'm turned on."

"Evie is the best," he shared in a "CBS Morning" interview. "I mean she's kind, she's funny." After raving about how hot she is Colbert explained they'd been neighbors as kids but went their own ways before reuniting. "She grew up around the corner, you know, we both like the whole thing where you travel around the world to marry the girl next door," he said