Stephen Colbert Falls Out Of Favor Fast With See-Through Kate Middleton Apology

Stephen Colbert is in the hot seat after his murky apology toward Kate Middleton fell flat with viewers. The late-night host was one of the many celebs who have spoken out about Kate's disappearance after she had abdominal surgery in January. Wild theories about Kate's absence from the public eye became all the talk, and even Colbert addressed one of the rumors on his show. In an opening monologue, the late-night host rehashed the speculation that Kate's husband, Prince William, and her former friend, Rose Hanbury, were having an affair. Colbert's segment fueled more conversation and frenzy around the topic as it began circulating on social media, but we know this theory was far from the truth.

In March, after much speculation, Kate answered the question on everybody's mind. The Princess of Wales posted a video revealing that she was diagnosed with cancer. She said, "In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous." Kate continued, "The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present." With Kate's diagnosis out in the open, many who speculated or shared rumors about the royal expressed remorse for joining the conversation. Colbert was one of the many who apologized for taking part in the wild speculation — well, kind of. His apology wasn't really an apology to many viewers, and they have since called out the late-night host.

Stephen Colbert is taking back his comments about the theory that Kate Middleton's disappearance was a result of Prince William's rumored affair with Rose Hanbury. On his show, Colbert explained that he tries to hold himself to a standard to not make fun of one's tragedies, before speaking on his remarks about Kate (via the New York Post). He said, "We did some jokes about that mystery and all the attendant fruit-fry in the reporting about that, and when I made those jokes, that upset some people even before her diagnosis was revealed." The talk show host spoke briefly about Kate's diagnosis before expressing deep regret for his comments. Colbert shared, "I and everyone here at 'The Late Show' would like to extend our well wishes and heartfelt hope that her recovery is swift and thorough." Seemed like a good apology, except there wasn't really an apology, and many viewers noted this.

One social media user got straight to the point and called out Colbert for not apologizing, saying, "I didn't hear a 'sorry' in there, anywhere!" Many had harsh words for the way the host went about "apologizing," as they felt he dodged from taking any explicit blame. One person tweeted, "Could Stephen Colbert be anymore of a jerk??? This is misleading rambling, NOT an apology of any kind." Viewers were unhappy about Colbert's "apology" to Kate, and they're not the only ones upset at the host.

The internet isn't the only one upset at Stephen Colbert; Rose Hanbury made a fiery move to squash those Prince William affair rumors. Hanbury, also known as the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, was mentioned in the original segment of Colbert addressing the crazy affair rumor. He said, "Well now, internet sleuths are guessing that Kate's absence may be related to her husband and the future King of England, William, having an affair ... So, I think we all know who the alleged other woman is. Say it with me — the Marchioness of Cholmondeley — what a beautiful name!" This segment gained major traction and fueled talk, not just about the affair rumors, but about Kate's absence in general. Now, Hanbury is doing something about Colbert's remarks.

InTouch Weekly reported that Hanbury and her legal team sent a notice to the late-night host and the network. Hanbury's lawyers issued a statement, saying, "The rumor appears to have entered into the mainstream media recently as a result of another joke made about it on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.'" They continued, "We have written on our client's behalf to CBS and various other reputable media organizations to confirm that the allegation is false." Hanbury and her team wanted to set the record straight that there was no truth to what Colbert said in his segment. The legal notice might have shaken up the late-night host as he apologized to Kate for his comments just days later.