NEWSStephen Colbert Reveals Who Named Him as His 'Hall Pass'

Stephen Colbert revealed he was once named Paulina Porizkova’s 'hall pass.'
May 30 2026, Published 7:33 a.m. ET
Stephen Colbert has shared an unexpected revelation: supermodel Paulina Porizkova named him as her “hall pass.”
This surprising moment emerged during a recent episode of “Strike Force Five Returns to Celebrate Stephen Colbert,” which aired on YouTube earlier this month.

Stephen Colbert shared a surprising story about being named supermodel Paulina Porizkova’s 'hall pass.'
During the early 2000s, Colbert and his friends discussed their own “hall passes” over dinner.
He recounted, “The guy next to me goes, ‘Paulina Porizkova.’”
To his amazement, he found out he was Porizkova’s choice while using the PEOPLE magazine app on his phone.

The late-night host recalled how the revelation caught him completely off guard during a casual dinner discussion in the early 2000s.
Colbert’s costars, including Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel, reacted with shock, exclaiming, “Oh my God!”
The 62-year-old talk show host acknowledged, “That was a flex that I’ve never ever been able to match.”
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Porizkova previously expressed her admiration for Colbert during a 2007 appearance on Good Morning America.
She referred to him as “hot,” adding, “If it wasn’t for the fact that I’m already very happily married, and so is he apparently. He is just my kind of guy. He’s so hot.”
In a playful moment, she even urged Colbert to call her on camera.

His friends were shocked when he later discovered Porizkova had specifically named him as her celebrity crush.
Colbert humorously responded to her compliment on The Colbert Report, questioning if he truly heard Porizkova correctly. He later showcased a T-shirt he designed featuring her image and quoted her compliment. He lightheartedly compared himself to her late husband, Ric Ocasek, emphasizing that he was not surprised by Porizkova’s attraction.
Porizkova married the late musician Ocasek in 1989, and they raised two sons before their separation in 2018. Ocasek passed away in 2019 from heart disease. Currently, Porizkova is engaged to TV writer Jeff Greenstein.

Porizkova had previously praised Colbert publicly, calling him 'hot' during a TV appearance years earlier.
Colbert remains happily married to Evelyn McGee since 1993, and they have three adult children: Peter, Madeline, and John.


