Stephen Colbert and his wife Evelyn "Evie" McGee Colbert's relationship is a tale that defies the notion of love at first sight. After being married for over 30 years, they shared their first impressions during an appearance on SiriusXM's Andy Cohen Live. Both grew up in Charleston, South Carolina and met young but didn't start dating immediately.

Early Encounters and First Meetings

Evie, 61, recalled, "We met several times." Stephen, 60, jokingly replied, "The first couple times, it did not take. We first met in college. A friend introduced us at a party and I was chemically impaired and Evie was a distant frost queen on a mountain top."During those early meetings, it seemed their paths might not cross in a significant way. But as time went on, something changed.

True First Introduction

In the past, they shared that their true first introduction was in the lobby of a theater, where neither realized they had grown up together. In 2016, Stephen described that special moment. "Her. That's your wife. You're going to marry her," he said he thought to himself.This moment marked a turning point in their relationship and led to them getting married in October 1993. They went on to have three children together - daughter Madeline and sons Peter and John.

Family and Community Importance

A local New Jersey neighborhood source told PEOPLE in 2015, "Stephen and his family are very happily entrenched. You can always see him with his family. Family and community have always been important to him." Their family life is a source of joy and stability.

COVID and Wife's Support

During COVID when filming restrictions were in place for his show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Stephen kept it running with the help of Evie. In 2021, he was honored at the Emmy Awards for his 2020 special, "Stephen Colbert's Election Night 2020," and he made sure to thank his wife. "I'm going to call my wife to celebrate as soon as I get through all this because she was a huge part of this past year and this night, too," he said. "You know, she's an absolute rock and I couldn't do this without her and I'm so glad - the only good thing that came out of COVID is that she got to be part of the show."

Joint Cookbook and Family Peek

Recently, the couple released their joint cookbook Does This Taste Funny?, which came out in September 2024. Evelyn told PEOPLE at the time, "It's a little peek into our family. It's just a teeny little bit of hanging out with us in the kitchen." The cookbook celebrates the tastes of their hometown in coastal South Carolina and includes recipes for dishes like red rice and crab cakes.It's clear that their family and shared interests continue to bring them together.