Stephen Colbert gets biblical on Roy Moore, on a night when Louis C.K. was his scheduled guest

(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/The Late Show)

Stephen Colbert reminded his audience on Thursday's Late Show about some of Alabama GOP Senate nominee Roy Moore's more controversial statements. "This guy who's constantly posturing about how devout he is and how sinful everyone else is, well, spoiler alert," he said, bringing up the "bombshell report in The Washington Post" in which "a woman says Roy Moore initiated a sexual encounter with her when she was 14 and he was 32."

"For those keeping track, that is an age difference of — it doesn't matter, she was 14!" Colbert said. "That is an act so heinous that it defies my ability to describe it," he added, quoting Moore's comment about homosexuality. "But I'll try: Illegal." He noted that Moore also came on to at least three other teenage girls, but said it may still end well for the former judge: "These accusations are so damning, voters are either going to force him off the ballot or make him president."

Colbert was particularly piqued at the defense of Moore from friend and Alabama state auditor Jim Ziegler, who cited the age difference between Joseph and Mary. "Their whole deal is that there was no funny business!" he said. "She was the 'Virgin Mary,' okay? Hey brother, she wasn't the 'Asking For It Mary,' which is why she didn't have to become the 'Talking to The Washington Post 30 Years Later Mary.'" But Moore wasn't the only one hit with accusations of sexual impropriety on Thursday, Colbert noted, telling the audience that his guest had to cancel at the last minute: "For those of you tuning in to see my interview with Louis C.K. tonight, I have some bad news. Then I have some really bad news." Watch below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.