Gayle King talks to Stephen Colbert about 'very painful' Charlie Rose sexual misconduct claims

Gayle King admitted to Stephen Colbert that she almost canceled her appearance on Tuesday's The Late Show.

King told the late-night host that she knew she would have to further address the sexual harassment allegations against Charlie Rose, who has co-anchored CBS This Morning alongside her and Norah O'Donnell since 2012.

Colbert applauded the 62-year-old newswoman for addressing the scandal head-on when she and O'Donnell appeared on CBS This Morning after eight women came forward accusing Rose of sexual misconduct. Rose has since been fired from CBS.

“It still isn't easy [to talk about]. It’s still very painful. It’s still very hurtful,” King said. “When you think about the anguish of those women, despite the friendship, you have to report the news.”

King also confessed that she was "wincing" during Colbert's monologue when he was making jokes about Rose. “You did your job this morning, and I did mine tonight,” Colbert responded, to which King agreed with him.

When asked if she was "angry" upon hearing of the allegations about her longtime colleague and friend, King confided, "I'm a variety of emotions. There's certainly some anger, there's some sadness, there's compassion, there's concern."

She added, "I can tell you I'm one thing. I'll tell you what I am is raw."

King went on to praise the women who spoke up about their alleged uncomfortable experiences with Rose. "If anything changes in this, what I do hope is that people will speak up," she declared. "Women are no longer afraid to speak up, but the best part about it is they are now being believed."

After the Washington Post released an article on Monday where eight women accused Rose of sexual harassment, the 75-year-old newsman posted a statement on Twitter where he apologized.

“In my 45 years in journalism, I have prided myself on being an advocate for the careers of the women with whom I have worked,” reads Rose's statement. “Nevertheless, in the past few days, claims have been made about my behavior toward some former female colleagues. It is essential that these women know I hear them and that I deeply apologize for my inappropriate behavior."

The statement continues, "I am greatly embarrassed. I have behaved insensitively at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate. I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realize I was mistaken."