Dick Cavett, 89, seen out for first time in SIX YEARS as he supports Stephen Colbert at final show afterparty
Talk show icon Dick Cavett was seen for the first time in public since 2020 as he supported departing The Late Show host Stephen Colbert on Thursday.
Cavett, 89, who suffered a stroke in 2020, leaned on a walking frame as he attended Colbert’s final show afterparty in New York City alongside wife Martha Rogers, 71.
The Dick Cavett Show host cut a suave figure in a tuxedo as he waved at fans – while Rogers wowed in a frilly green gown.
Cavett’s last public appearance was at a February 2020 screening of his documentary Ali Cavett: The Tales of the Tapes – shortly before his devastating health woes.
The month prior, he had appeared on The Late Show with Colbert.
In a 2025 interview with Nebraska Free Press, Cavett, revealed he was doing well after his stroke, saying: ‘I don’t feel permanently dramatically scarred or wounded by it.
Talk show icon Dick Cavett was seen for the first time in public since 2020 as he supported departing The Late Show host Stephen Colbert on Thursday – seen with wife Martha Rogers
Cavett’s last public appearance was at a February 2020 screening of his documentary Ali Cavett – shortly before his devastating health woes
‘A lot of people cannot say that. A stroke is a wicked, wicked thing.’
He added that ‘everything had come back’ to him during his recovery.
The Dick Cavett Show ran from 1968-1986.
During his lengthy career, the talk show host interviewed a number of prominent celebrities, including Groucho Marx, Jimi Hendrix, Marlon Brando, Muhammad Ali, Judy Garland, Lucille Ball, Jackie Robinson, John Lennon and many others on The Dick Cavett Show.
In 2024, he starred in a music video for a song called Dick Cavett, written by New Jersey musician Marc Ribler, that honored his career.
Cavett joined the toast of the television world to bid farewell to Colbert’s show after 11 seasons on air, with Katie Couric, John Oliver, Anderson Cooper joining stars Paul McCartney and Mark Hamill at the after party.
However Colbert’s grand finale left many fans unimpressed after Ryan Reynolds appeared as a surprise guest.
During the first half of the special final episode, Colbert, 62, had a string of celebrity cameos in the audience, each jokingly wondering whether they would be his last interview, before Beatles icon Paul McCartney ended up being his final guest.
During his lengthy career, the talk show host interviewed a number of prominent celebrities, including Groucho Marx, Jimi Hendrix, Marlon Brando, Muhammad Ali, Judy Garland, Lucille Ball, Jack Robinson, John Lennon and many others on The Dick Cavett Show – pictured 1969
Cavett, 89, who suffered a stroke in 2020, leaned on a walking frame as he attended with Rogers
Colbert interviewed Cavett in 2020 before his stroke
Paul McCartney attended with wife Nancy
Colbert flashed a giddy grin at the soiree
John Oliver and wife Kate Norley were in attendance
Star Wars icon Mark Hamill was on the guest list
Katie Couric attended the glitzy bash
Ewan McGregor was seen arriving at the soiree
Anderson Cooper looked stylish as he arrived
Gayle King showed off her style as she arrived
However, fans were left irritated when Blake Lively’s husband Reynolds – who played a major role in her legal war with Justin Baldoni – was among the surprise appearances.
Colbert quickly shut him down, joking: ‘Ryan, it’s great to see you, but I hate to tell you, you’re not my last guest.’
‘Ouchie,’ Reynolds replied. ‘Okay, well in that case I’m just happy to be here. Pay my respects to the one of the world’s greatest entertainers in his last night at the Ed Sullivan theater.’
After Colbert thanked him, Reynolds quipped, ‘I was talking about your keyboardist, Corey Bernhard.’ Reynolds then got up to give Bernhard a prolonged hug and a gift of bananas, before the musician playfully shook him off.
‘Thank you. Please stop DM-ing me,’ Bernhard told him.
‘Never,’ Reynolds replied.
‘Who thought it would be a good idea to trot Ryan Reynolds out? Was the goal to get as many a**holes in screen as possible?’ one fan on X questioned.
‘Why have Ryan Reynolds on his last show!!! Ugh!’ another wrote.
‘ryan reynolds EW EW EW EW EW,’ another chimed in.
‘Ryan Reynolds????? WHAT???’ another fumed.
Meanwhile President Donald Trump delivered a scathing message after the episode ended.
McCartney was the final ever guest on Colbert’s show
‘Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life. He was like a dead person. You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he’s finally gone!’ he wrote on Truth Social.
Colbert has spent nearly 11 years at the helm of The Late Show, taking over as host in September 2015 from David Letterman, 79, who launched the late-night talk show in 1993 and retired after 22 years.
McCartney ended up being the final guest.
The moment proved historic as McCartney and his Beatles bandmates – John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison – famously made their first TV appearance in the United States at the Ed Sullivan Theatre, where Colbert is filmed, in 1964.