Julia Louis-Dreyfus Tells Colbert 'You're As Relevant As The Bill Of Rights'

Alex Christy
May 13th, 2026 9:47 AM

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Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus stopped by CBS and The Late Show on Tuesday to continue the line of guests who give gifts and odes to outgoing host Stephen Colbert. For her gift, Louis-Dreyfus reprised her Veep role to give a friendly roast of Colbert, where she claimed he is as relevant as the Bill of Rights and that she considers him to be the Stormy Daniels of late night.

Louis-Dreyfus began by setting up her surprise, “People have been coming on the show, and, recently to sing your praises and give you gifts. And you know how much I love you. I really do, and I wanted to sort of add to the chorus to sort of boost you along whatever brilliant thing you do next, and since I know you're a huge fan of Veep—by the way, he does not know what I'm about to do. I got some of the Veep writers together to write a Veep style tribute to you, and will read them. I'm going to read them to you as Selina Meyer, my character in Veep.”

 

 

Initially, Louis-Dreyfus focused on Colbert’s face, Irish ancestry, and decision to Frenchify his name, “I've been on this show multiple times, and I always thought you were Rachel Maddow. Are you not? So, you're Irish, but you decided to pronounce your name to sound French? That's like putting lipstick on the pig, which I understand is what Irish people do before they [bleep] it.”

She then turned to Trump, “Don't be too hard on yourself. You're as relevant as the Bill of Rights. So, we have watched you age on camera from a spunky kid on The Daily Show to a canceled old late-night host whose jowls look like the scrotum of a well, canceled old late-night host. Your cancellation gave Donald Trump so much pleasure, I always think of you as the Stormy Daniels of late night.”

Even a roast of the host is not immune from hysterical freakouts about Trump. Given the ironic nature of the roast format, Louis-Dreyfus was telling Colbert not to worry about the fate of The Late Show because it is irrelevant, just like the Bill of Rights allegedly is in the Trump era.

The roast was not the only gift Louis-Dreyfus gave Colbert. Earlier, she played a clip from Monday’s show of Colbert asking his fellow late night hosts, “Have you guys ever made out with a star on camera?

 

 

After a hard jump cut, Monday Colbert continued, “Sally Field, Helen Mirren, Allison Janney. Jeff Daniels. And what? Andrew Garfield. Jane Fonda and I did not. Jane Fonda—did not—we did not make out, but she stuck her tongue in my ear.”

Back on Tuesday, after some awkward silence, Louis-Dreyfus gave Colbert a roughly three-second kiss on the lips. Colbert reacted, “Well, the interview is going great so far.”

Perhaps it is only natural for guests to praise an outgoing host, but the constant need to politicize those farewells gives credence to the idea that for Colbert, The Late Show was first and foremost meant to be a show by liberals for liberals.

Here is a transcript for the May 12-taped show:

CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

5/13/2026

12:05 AM ET

STEPHEN COLBERT: Now, this is unusual—

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS: Yes. Tell me.

COLBERT: —because this is the first time any guest on the show has requested of my producers a clip of my own show for them to roll. I do not know what you're about to show, but my producers as there are some clip I'm supposed to set you up for. What is it?

LOUIS-DREYFUS: What is it? Oh, I'll tell you. I believe it was from last night. I think.

COLBERT: Really. Okay.

LOUIS-DREYFUS:  You were with other talk show hosts.

COLBERT: Yeah, yeah. The strike force.

LOUIS-DREYFUS: And it was part of your conversation.

COLBERT: Okay. Yvonne?

COLBERT [5/11/2026] Have you guys ever made out with a star on camera? Sally Field, Helen Mirren—

SETH MEYERS: Oh, good list.

COLBERT: Allison Janney.

JOHN OLIVER: Jane Fonda.

COLBERT: Jeff Daniels. And—

OLIVER: Fonda.

COLBERT: What? Andrew Garfield. Jane Fonda and I did not. Jane Fonda—did not—we did not make out, but she stuck her tongue in my ear.

LOUIS-DREYFUS [5/13/26]: No one's watching.

COLBERT: No one's watching?

LOUIS-DREYFUS: No, it's just between us.

COLBERT: Then what harm is there?

LOUIS-DREYFUS: None. What could possibly go wrong?

COLBERT: Well, the interview is going great so far.

…

LOUIS-DREYFUS: People have been coming on the show, and, recently to sing your praises and give you gifts.

COLBERT: Yeah.

LOUIS-DREYFUS: And you know how much I love you. I really do, and I wanted to sort of add to the chorus to sort of boost you along whatever brilliant thing you do next, and since I know you're a huge fan of Veep—by the way, he does not know what I'm about to do. I got some of the Veep writers together to write a Veep style tribute to you, and will read them. I'm going to read them to you as Selina Meyer, my character in Veep.

COLBERT: Okay.

LOUIS-DREYFUS: I've been on this show multiple times, and I always thought you were Rachel Maddow. Are you not? So, you're Irish, but you decided to pronounce your name to sound French? That's like putting lipstick on the pig, which I understand is what Irish people do before they [bleep] it.

COLBERT: Sheep also.

LOUIS-DREYFUS: Yeah. Don't be too hard on yourself. You're as relevant as the Bill of Rights. So, we have watched you age on camera from a spunky kid on The Daily Show to a canceled old late-night host whose jowls look like the scrotum of a well, canceled old late-night host. Your cancellation gave Donald Trump so much pleasure, I always think of you as the Stormy Daniels of late night. 

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