The Colbert Report is taking an unscheduled break from filming this week for “unforeseen reasons,” according to Mediaite. Worried fans quickly leapt to the worst kinds of conclusions. Network problems with his presidential run? Cancellation? The Times’ intrepid media Twitterer, Brian Stelter — who just so happened to take his lady friend, NY1 reporter Jamie Shupak, to a taping of the Daily Show for their Valentine’s Day date — reached out to Comedy Central for comment and reported that, “There’s no indication of any corporate drama re: Colbert’s unforeseen absence. Comedy Central expects to be back to new episodes soon.”* So the poor guy probably just has the flu or there was a death in the family, and now it’s a national news story. You know who would do a great satire of that kind of media overhype? Stephen Colbert.
Update: The Huffington Post reports that Colbert’s mother, 91-year-old Lorna, is seriously ill.
*An earlier version of this post mistakenly said Stelter had attended a Colbert Report taping this week.
