Colbert addresses arrest of staffers
Stephen Colbert pronounced his staff members arrested at a congressional office building last week as guilty of “first-degree puppetry,” and lashed out at those comparing the incident to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. That includes Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson, who in a tonguein-cheek monologue about “Insurrection 2.0” on Monday called Colbert a “white extremist.”
Seven people who identified themselves as affiliated with CBS’ “Late Show” were detained by Capitol Police following reports of a disturbance Thursday at the Longworth House Office Building. The seven include Robert Smigel, the voice of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
Colbert said on his show Monday that they were doing “some last-minute puppetry and jokey make’em-ups” when they were taken into custody. Colbert said everyone involved was calm and professional. He offered no apologies for the incident.
CBS has said that interviews conducted by Colbert’s team were authorized and pre-arranged through congressional aides. It was not clear whether Capitol Police were told in advance. Capitol Police said the group had been earlier told by them to leave Longworth.
Fox News has seized upon the story, which led Colbert to say that anyone attempting to draw equivalence between Jan. 6 and last week’s incident is shamefully insulting the memory of those who died at the Capitol.
“An insurrection involves disrupting the lawful actions of Congressing and howling for the blood of elected leaders to prevent the peaceful transfer of power,” Colbert
said. “This was first-degree puppetry. This was hijinks with intent to goof.”
Kardashian, Chyna settle:
A settlement agreement was reached on the eve of a second trial pitting the Kardashian family against former reality TV star Blac Chyna. Jury selection had been set to begin Monday in the trial over Chyna’s allegations that her former fiance Rob Kardashian maliciously posted nude photos of her in 2017 after their breakup, but according to court documents, the parties informed the judge that they had agreed to a settlement.
Emails to attorneys for both sides seeking comment and details on the settlement terms were not immediately returned.
At an earlier trial, Chyna alleged that Rob Kardashian’s mother and sisters — Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner — had defamed her as violent and unstable, and persuaded producers and executives to cancel her reality show. The Kardashians won a clear victory in that trial May 2.
Docuseries to spotlight Rolling Stones: The Rolling Stones will mark its 60th anniversary with a four-part docuseries on EPIX that takes turns focusing on the band’s most iconic members, with in-depth portraits of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and the late Charlie Watts. “My Life as a Rolling Stone” will premiere on Aug. 7.
Producers said in a statement that the series aims to “reveal The Rolling Stones’ creativity, their inspirations, and how they individually and collectively have overcome adversity, notoriety and personal demons to write the soundtrack of our times.”
June 22 birthdays: Singer Kris Kristofferson is 86. Actor Michael Lerner is 81. Singer Todd Rundgren is 74. Singer Alan Osmond is 73. Actor Meryl Streep is 73. Actor Lindsay Wagner is 73. Actor Graham Greene is 70. Singer Cyndi Lauper is 69. Actor Bruce Campbell is 64. TV personality Carson Daly is 49. Actor Donald Faison is 48. Singer Dinah Jane is 25.