Although Jon Batiste has not been seen on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert since May 2022, causing a stir among fans, he is not leaving the show.

Batiste's absence is sorely felt because he is as big a staple of the show as Stephen Colbert. The two were first linked when Batiste and his band, Stay Human, appeared on The Colbert Report in 2014 to perform their then-new single "Express Yourself."

The single reportedly impressed Colbert so much that he championed Batiste and the band to become an integral part of his new venture: becoming the host of The Late Show. And so it was; on June 24, 2015, Jon Batiste and Stay Human were named the musicians on the Late Show's roster.

Learn more about Jon Batiste:  Where Is Jon Batiste Now? What Is He Doing In 2022

Since then, Batiste and Stay Human have worked with many iconic musicians like John Legend, Nas, and Billy Joel, and Batiste has been a great foil to Colbert's quips and jokes. That is why his absence caused fans to worry immediately and wonder if perhaps the singer had decided to quit the show and move on to greener pastures.

The answer is much more different than what fans may expect and a lot more harrowing. Batiste's wife has cancer.

Jon Batiste married his wife Suleika Jaouad secretly in February 2022, only announcing it to the public months later.

Suleika Jaouad is a respected writer who has written for many reputed publications like Vogue and Glamour. She also writes a New York Times column called Life Interrupted, which she has been writing since July 11, 2014.

The column is about living with cancer because in 2011, at 23, Jaouad was diagnosed with a rare form of acute myeloid leukemia. Doctors stated that her chances of survival were around 35%.

She wrote about her survival journey and years of intense treatment in the column and a memoir called Between Two Kingdoms. Though cancer seemed to be in remission, in November 2021, she learned that not only had the cancer returned, it was more aggressive than before.

Interested in learning more about Batiste's wife? Read here: How Is Jon Batiste Wife Doing? Suleika Jaouad Cancer Back! Illness Update

Although the news must have been undoubtedly terrifying, Jaouad has credited her husband, Batiste, for helping her deal with it. The couple was married a day before Jaouad was admitted to the hospital for bone marrow transplant surgery.

The couple has stated that the reasoning behind the marriage was to make it a statement of their commitment together and a belief that they will share a future. Jaouad was discharged from the hospital in late April 2022, which is why Batiste announced their marriage to the public.

A month later, he announced that he would take the summer off to be with his wife and care for her, a decision none can find fault with. More recently, Stephen Colbert stated that Batiste might return to the show around September.

Batiste is as stellar a husband as he is a musician, and the latter is a staple in his family. 

Batiste was born in Metairie, Louisiana, and grew up in Kenner, Louisiana. He is a member of the Batiste Family, a New Orleans musical dynasty that includes luminaries like Lionel Batiste of the Treme Brass Band, Milton Batiste of the Olympia Brass Band, and Russell Batiste Jr., a New Orleans-based drummer.

Batiste has been playing instruments since 8. He started with percussions and drums, playing with his family's band, the Batiste Brothers Band. At his mother's behest, he switched to piano at eleven and even took classical music lessons to become better at the instrument.

While attending high school, Batiste released his debut album "Time in New Orleans" at 17, and he hasn't stopped releasing Music since.

• Did Jon Batiste go to Julliard?
  • Yes, he went to Julliard and graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor's in Music.
• When was Jon Batiste born?
  • Batiste was born on November 11, 1985
• What instruments does Jon Batiste play?
  • Batiste currently plays the piano and keyboard primarily.