Stephen Colbert’s Sweet Words About Wife Evie Show Why Their 32-Year Love Story Still Feels So Real
Stephen Colbert has spent decades making audiences laugh, but when he talks about his wife, Evelyn “Evie” McGee Colbert, his words reveal something softer, warmer and deeply personal.
In a new PEOPLE cover interview, Colbert opened up about life with Evie, his wife of 32 years, and he could not help but gush about the woman who has been beside him through fame, family, career changes and the emotional end of The Late Show. The host, now 62, still speaks about Evie with the kind of affection that makes their marriage feel both rare and refreshingly real. PEOPLE notes that the couple got engaged in December 1992, married in October 1993 and share three children: Madeleine, Peter and John.
What touched fans most was how openly Colbert admired her. He joked that even after all these years, he still finds himself thinking he must be doing something right because Evie McGee is with him. It was not a polished Hollywood line. It sounded like a man still amazed by the person he married.
Their love story has always carried a little bit of destiny. Colbert has previously shared that when he saw Evie in a theater lobby in South Carolina, a voice in his head told him she was the woman he would marry. In his PEOPLE interview, he also recalled that after they met in May 1990, they exchanged letters before their first date on December 26 of that year. Later, with encouragement from a friend, he proposed on December 22, 1992 — just in time for Evie to show her ring at Christmas.
That mix of romance, humor and old-fashioned timing gives their story a charm that fans have long loved. It was not built for publicity. It was built through letters, shared roots, patience and the kind of connection that deepened slowly over time.
Over the years, Evie has occasionally appeared on The Late Show, and Colbert has always seemed happiest when she is part of the moment. He told PEOPLE that audiences enjoy seeing her because she can tease him better than anyone. That detail says a lot about their relationship: it is affectionate, playful and grounded enough that neither of them has to pretend to be perfect.
Colbert also made it clear that their marriage is not defined by dramatic fights. He joked that their disagreements are more like small household squabbles over emails and decisions, but said they do not really have major blowups. What stands out instead is companionship. He described Evie as “great company” and admitted he tries to be just as good company for her, even if he does not think he always succeeds.
Perhaps the sweetest part of the interview came when Colbert talked about her laugh. After decades as a comedian, interviewer and late-night host, he has spent his life trying to make millions of people laugh. Yet the laugh he wants most still belongs to Evie. He said they laugh a lot, called hers the best laugh, and made clear that getting that laugh means more to him than anyone else’s.
For fans, that is what makes Stephen and Evie’s love story so moving. It is not flashy. It is not loud. It is not built on constant public display. It is a marriage rooted in friendship, humor, admiration and choosing each other again and again.
After 32 years, Stephen Colbert still looks at his wife like the love story is new. And in a world where so many celebrity romances fade quickly, that quiet devotion may be the most beautiful punchline of all.
