After addressing the sexual misconduct allegations against Charlie Rose on Tuesday’s CBS This Morning, Gayle King appeared on The Late Show to further discuss her former co-host, who was fired shortly following her original comments.
Stephen Colbert praised King and Norah O’Donnell for their coverage of the Rose news, which King had described as “deeply disturbing, troubling, and painful.”
“That’s what you have to do,” said King, adding that she had considered canceling her previously planned Late Show visit. “To be honest with you, it still isn’t easy. It’s still very painful, it’s still very hurtful. Charlie and I have worked together, been friends, but when you think about the anguish of those women, despite the friendship, you still have to report the news.”
A Monday report from The Washington Post featured eight women, who worked or aspired to work for PBS’ Charlie Rose show, claiming Rose groped them, walked around naked in front of them, and made lewd phone calls. The veteran newsman subsequently apologized, admitting he “behaved insensitively at times.”
King added she was “wincing” during Colbert’s monologue, which commented on Rose. “You did your job this morning, I did my job tonight,” said the host. King responded, “I thought about that too. It’s interesting, when you were doing the monologue about other people, I’m like, ‘Ha ha ha.’ And then it was Charlie, and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s a friend. I don’t like that, that’s difficult.’ And then I think about what these women were going through… I don’t like that either.”
The Late Show airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ETon CBS. Watch the clip above.
This article originally appeared on EW.