Stephen Colbert has always carried a nice guy reputation and made The Late Show a welcoming place for guests. But one comedian says she had the opposite experience as Colbert left her in tears during an "ambush" interview.
Comedian Kathy Griffin recalled her experience on The Late Show in a YouTube video. She recalled her 2018 interview in which Colbert asked her about her infamous photoshoot holding the severed head of Donald Trump.
Griffin faced immense backlash for the image and apologized for going too far. But she later pushed back on the reaction, saying it was not proportional as she faced challenges in her career and personal life.
The comedian didn't find a safe space when she visited The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The late-night host wasn't necessarily forgiving or sympathetic as Griffin detailed the backlash against her. "There are limits, though, to what you can say about the President of the United States, having specifically to do with harm against the President of the United States," Colbert said.
In her 2025 video, Griffin said she chose to be friendly toward Colbert rather than push back too strongly. After all, she was a guest on his show, making it difficult to try to get the upperhand on the host.
“And when I felt the tears starting to come, I just inside, I was dying," Griffin said. “I’m glad to say not one tear escaped my tear ducts, so I did not cry. I did not have a tear visible to the audience. I don’t think the audience could tell that my eyes filled up. I do think Stephen could tell. It did not stop him. I did not feel he had any empathy, but I did feel that he had an understanding, and that’s what made it worse.”
The interview completely changed Griffin's opinon of Colbert. While she acknowledged how accomplished he is, the comedian said she now has a "low opinion" of the Late Show host. She went further, accusing Colbert of misogyny for the tone of their interview.
"But that undercurrent of misogyny, where [Colbert] would probably be shocked to hear that anyone would accuse him of having an ounce of misogyny," Griffin said. As of now, Colbet has not responded.
The late-night star has had opportunities since Griffin uploaded her video. But without any public acknowledgement, it seems as if Colbert doesn't want to revisit the interview or feels compelled to apologize for anything he did.