Stephen Colbert’s love story with his wife, Evelyn McGee Colbert, is one that feels straight out of a romantic movie — filled with timing, fate, and a touch of humor that only the late-night host himself could deliver. Though they grew up in the same city and even knew of each other’s families, it wasn’t until years later that their paths truly crossed in a way that would change both of their lives forever.

Both Stephen and Evelyn were raised in Charleston, South Carolina. Their families were familiar with one another, but they attended different schools, and their circles didn’t overlap much. After college, Stephen moved away to pursue a career in comedy and acting, while Evelyn worked in the arts. It wasn’t until 1990 that destiny brought them face-to-face again — and at a moment when Stephen was at a crossroads in his personal life.

At the time, Colbert was in a relationship with another woman who had given him an ultimatum: get married or break up. Confused and unsure of his feelings, he turned to the person he trusted most — his mother. During a heartfelt conversation, he confided that he didn’t know whether he was ready to marry his girlfriend. His mother, with characteristic honesty, told him, “I don’t know isn’t good enough.” That sentence hit home for Stephen. It made him realize that his uncertainty meant he wasn’t meant to marry the woman he was dating.

After their talk, his mother invited him to accompany her to see a show that evening. Reluctantly, he agreed — and that decision would change his life forever. As Stephen later recalled to his Late Show audience in 2016, when he arrived at the theater, he spotted a woman across the room wearing a black linen dress. Something clicked immediately. “Her,” he remembered thinking. “Honest to God, I thought, there’s your wife. You’re going to marry her.” That woman was Evelyn McGee.

As fate would have it, Evelyn noticed him too. Years later, in a 2021 interview, she recalled her first impression vividly: “He walked in with his mother on his arm. I was thinking, ‘That man loves his mother.’” It wasn’t long before they started talking at the show’s afterparty — and once they did, they couldn’t stop. Their conversation lasted over two hours. During that time, they realized they had known each other as children, both growing up in Charleston. Stephen, ever self-deprecating, assumed she was just being polite and tried to give her an opportunity to leave the conversation when someone interrupted. But when he turned back, she was still there — smiling at him. “And now we’re married,” he later joked.

From the very beginning, Stephen showed his romantic side. Evelyn once shared with Oprah Winfrey that early in their courtship, Stephen showed up for a date carrying a baritone horn and serenaded her — a gesture that was both sweet and ridiculous, perfectly embodying the man she would later marry. Their love story unfolded naturally, without glitz or pretense, just two people who seemed meant to find each other after years apart.

The couple married on October 9, 1993, in a modest ceremony surrounded by friends and family. At that time, Stephen was not yet a household name. His big break on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart was still years away, and fame was nowhere on the horizon. Their early years together were built on simplicity, laughter, and shared values — foundations that would sustain their relationship even as Stephen’s career skyrocketed.

Stephen and Evelyn went on to have three children: a daughter, Madeline, born in 1995, and two sons, Peter in 1998 and John in 2002. As the youngest of eleven siblings himself, Colbert cherished family life deeply. The name Peter carried emotional weight for him — two of his older brothers, Peter and Paul, along with his father, were killed in a plane crash when Stephen was just ten years old. Naming his son after one of them was a quiet way of honoring their memory.

Over the years, Stephen has often spoken about fatherhood with tenderness and gratitude. “I didn’t know what it was like to be a parent until I had children,” he once said. “Even the hard parts are just beautiful.” He particularly cherishes simple moments — coming home, sharing a glass of wine, and talking with his kids about their day. For him, those ordinary interactions are the heart of parenthood.

The Colberts made a deliberate choice to raise their family outside of the spotlight. Instead of living in New York City or Los Angeles, they settled in Montclair, New Jersey, where they could offer their children a sense of normalcy. The family’s quiet suburban life even included a surprising detail: actress Jennifer Garner once babysat for their kids when she was a struggling performer.

Now married for more than three decades, Stephen and Evelyn’s bond remains as strong as ever. They continue to admire and adore each other, both privately and publicly. At the 2017 Met Gala, Evelyn playfully told reporters, “He’s so sexy,” before adding, “He taught me the importance of being silly.” That sense of humor and lightness seems to define their marriage.

During the pandemic, when The Late Show had to move into the Colbert home, Evelyn stepped in as a makeshift crew member and audience. In one memorable episode, she introduced herself on camera as “Evelyn Colbert,” prompting Stephen to pause, grin, and admit, “Wow … I’m not afraid to say I’m turned on.” The couple’s easy chemistry and affection for each other were impossible to miss.

Even after 30 years of marriage, Stephen still gets nervous around her. In one early quarantine episode, he confessed, “I’m a little nervous to have you on here. I want this to be a good experience for you!” Evelyn smiled and replied with a line that summed up their love story perfectly: “I’ll come back. I live here.”