30 most shocking moments in late night history
By Jeremy Dick
7. Richard Branson throws water at Stephen Colbert
Billionaire Richard Branson booked himself an appearance on The Colbert Report in 2007 to promote his new Virgin American airline. After chatting with Colbert for a few minutes, the segment ended before Branson was able to promote his airline by name. Possibly, Branson felt cheated, and had somewhat of a mini-tantrum by dousing Colbert unexpectedly with water from his mug.
Neither Colbert nor Branson wanted their true feelings of irritation to come out on the air, but if you look at them, it’s quite apparent on both of their faces. Colbert then opted for revenge by having a staffer retrieve a bottle of water for him, which he used to splash Branson back with. That’s when the segment officially came to a close, putting an end to the tension.
There is speculation that the incident was staged, and to this day, it’s not completely clear if the incident was set up in any way. But Branson is known for being unpredictable, and it seems a little too minor and petty for it to be a part of some big, elaborate hoax set up by a brilliant mind such as Colbert’s. But, I guess who really knows for sure?
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