Stephen Colbert breaks social media silence after end of ‘Late Show’

Stephen Colbert has been laying low since he bid farewell to “The Late Show” in May. But two months later, he has returned to Instagram to share a sweet message for ​a beloved family member.

In a Sunday, July 19, Instagram post, Colbert wished his dog, Benny, a happy seventh birthday.

The Boykin spaniel has ⁠stolen the spotlight on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” a few times since ‌he made his debut as a puppy ​on the CBS show in December 2019. An excited Benny, wearing a red leash, sat on Colbert’s lap as the crowd chanted “Benny!”

Colbert previously detailed a typical day with a set ⁠visit from Benny during a January 2025 ‌episode of “The Late Show ‌Pod Show with Stephen Colbert.”

Benny would “sit in the same chair every time” and “sits up like a human” ⁠during rehearsals, Colbert said.

His dog “looks so intently that it really looks like he’s about to give me notes, ‌and I wish he would,” ‌the comedian added.

Colbert, a J. R. R. Tolkien superfan who is writing a new film in the “Lord of the Rings” ⁠franchise with his son, has made a few ​public appearances since he ⁠took ​his final bow after 11 years at the Ed Sullivan Theater on May 21.

A day after “The Late Show’s” finale, he stopped by a Michigan public access show ⁠to guest host because, as he joked, “It’s been an excruciating 23 hours without being on TV.”

Then in June, Colbert returned to the ⁠stage to celebrate his wife of 32 years, Evelyn McGee Colbert, stepping down as president of the New Jersey nonprofit organization Montclair Film.

Stephen Colbert was among the lineup ⁠of friends and loved ones ‌who offered tributes to McGee Colbert, with ​the former ‌late-night host serenading her with Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On ​Home to Me.”