Stephen Colbert says 'I'm still here' after Asian joke controversy

Stephen Colbert let fans know Monday night that he is still around after his Asian joke controversy.

The television show host came under heavy fire last week when The Colbert Report posted an Asian joke with no other context on the show's Twitter.

The joke sparked immediate outrage, and upset Twitter users spawned the hashtag #CancelColbert in response. Colbert took to his personal Twitter and used the hashtag himself in a sardonic display of solidarity. His tweet included a link to a video of the joke said in context, which made fun of Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, who famously refuses to change the team's name.

The host appeared last night on the first new episode of his show since the controversy. Colbert clarified that he wasn't the one who tweeted the joke from The Colbert Report Twitter, but acknowledged why fans were upset.

"When I saw the tweet with no context, I understood how people were offended," the host said.

Colbert made a serious entreaty to his supporters to cease their threats against Suey Park. Park is the self-described "Angry Asian Woman" comedian and blogger who created the #CancelColbert hashtag in response to the joke. The 23-year-old woman has been inundated with hate messages and death threats since she started the tag.

The Colbert Report host said he will "shut down" the imaginary foundation he referenced in his joke, and told his followers, "I'm still here!"