Celebrities, they’re just like us — they’re also baffled by the Kate Middleton situation. John Oliver shared his pet theory about what may have happened to the Princess of Wales while on “Watch What Happens Live.”
“There is a non-zero chance she died 18 months ago,” Oliver told host Andy Cohen Tuesday night. “They might be ‘Weekend at Bernie’s-ing’ this situation.”
The host of “Last Week Tonight” then emphasized that he doesn’t fully believe Middleton is dead. “I’m not saying it happened! I’m saying it’s nonzero until proved otherwise. Until we see her with a copy of the day’s newspaper,” Oliver then widened his eyes and made a sawing motion around his neck.
@bravowwhl John Oliver is wondering what's going on with Kate Middleton! #WWHL ♬ original sound – BravoWWHL
Oliver has long been outspoken about the Royal Family. Last year, he dedicated a large segment of his weekly show to discussing the point of the British monarchy, and he’s also discussed King Charles III’s coronation. A joke Oliver made in 2022 shortly after the death of Queen Elizabeth II was even pulled from the late night host’s HBO show during its broadcast on Sky TV.
Despite his long history of mocking royals, Oliver was planning on ignoring the rumors circling Middleton until “the Photoshop thing.”
“It feels like you’re almost handling it badly in an impressive way at this point,” Oliver said of the Royal Family.
A big reason why this Photoshop gaffe has received so much attention has to do with Middleton herself. The Princess of Wales has not been seen in public for several months. In January, the palace announced that Middleton would be having a planned abdominal surgery, which required several months of recovery.
This silence has led to all sorts of conspiracy theories ranging from Middleton’s death to the belief that Prince William and Middleton are “soft launching” their impending divorce. Supposed evidence for that second theory rests in the media attention Rose Hanbury, William’s alleged mistress, has recently received. Sillier conspiracy theories involve Middleton getting a face lift or getting addicted to The Sims. Regardless, this is exactly the sort of mystery the internet loves.
