Did Jon Batiste Leave Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ Due To His Wife Suleika’s Illness?

Jon Batiste is leaving CBS’s The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Since the show began in September 2015, he has been the bandleader. Host Stephen Colbert said on Thursday that Batiste is leaving.

Colbert told his audience that Louis Cato, who has been filling in for Batiste all summer while he was away, will take over the role for good. He then introduced his audience to the new band, which will be called Louis Cato and the Late Show Band.

Colbert said during the episode, “Jon has decided to leave the show.” “But it’s for all the best reasons, like so he can keep showing the world his art.”

The host said that Batiste is out of town and couldn’t be in the studio for a big sendoff. “We’ve been so lucky to see Jon’s amazing talent up close for the past seven years,” Colbert said next. “But we’re happy for you, Jon, and I can’t wait to have you back as a guest with your next hit record. I love you.”

Batiste, who is 35 years old, was a major winner at the Grammy Awards in April 2022. He won five awards, including album of the year for his song “We Are.” Batiste also won an Oscar and a Grammy for the score he wrote with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for the 2020 Pixar movie Soul.

Check out Colbert’s announcement:

Jon Batiste’s Wife Suleika Jaouad’s Brave Cancer Battle – Star Took Time Off To Care For Her

Jon Batiste, who was on THE LATE SHOW, took time off to help care for his wife Suleika Jaouad while she bravely fought cancer.

Jon had not been on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert since May 2022. He was known as the nightly bandleader and musical director on the show.

Most of the musician’s time these days is spent taking care of his wife, Suleika Jaouad, who is 35.

They told CBS Sunday Morning that they got married in secret in February 2022, right after Suleika was told for the second time that she had leukemia.

Suleika told reporter Jim Axelrod, “I think from the first week we dated, we both knew we wanted to get married.

“That’s when Jon first talked to me about getting married. So, eight years have passed. This isn’t a hasty choice, you know!”

Suleika was born in New York City. In 2011, she was first told she had acute myeloid leukemia.

Suleika went through years of chemotherapy, took part in clinical trials, and got a bone marrow transplant to fight the disease. Three years later, she was declared cancer-free.

But in November 2021, the 33-year-old woman found out that her cancer had come back, and this time it was worse.

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Jon told PEOPLE in early June that his wife was “doing better” after she was diagnosed with leukemia.

He told the organization: “Every day, we pray and keep going with the — I mean, she is amazing.

“When you see her, you wouldn’t think she’s going through what she’s going through.

“She can turn even the hardest problems into things that make her feel good about life. So, in her case, it’s different. It’s a Suleika thing to ask her how she’s doing.”

The couple got married in their new house, which he called “kind of a temple.” Only close family members were there.

Suleika And Jon Batiste Have Settled In A New Home

In an Instagram post on April 22, Suleika told her fans that she was finally released from the hospital “after a two-week stay” because of problems with her bone marrow transplant and was getting used to her new Brooklyn apartment.

She also said, “Hope has felt dangerous to me in the past, and in some ways, it still does.

“But I have to get past my fear and take steps toward hope. I want to live a life that looks to the future and is rooted in what is true, good, and beautiful.

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In another post, she showed a photo of a watercolor painting she had done. She said that painting was a way for her to “get creative with her life.”

Jon also kept his social media followers up to date two weeks ago with a set of photos.

While Jon has major projects ahead of him which would undeniably only add to his musical success, it can’t be denied that his dedication to his wife has been a major factor behind his absence from Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’.

Jon Batiste Net Worth

Jon Batiste is an American musician, bandleader, and TV personality with a $4 million net worth. Jon Batiste was born in November 1986 in Kenner, LA. He has recorded and performed with Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, Prince, Ed Sheeran, Lenny Kravitz, Ed Sheeran, and more.