Robert Pattinson given ice cream on "The Daily Show"

(CBS/AP) Robert Pattinson returned to the spotlight Monday night with an appearance on "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," where he was offered some ice cream in light of his recent break up.

The 26-year-old actor has been out of sight since learning last month that his girlfriend and "Twilight" co-star Kristen Stewart had an affair with married movie director Rupert Sanders. A tabloid printed photos of the illicit dalliance, breaking the hearts of "Twilight" fans worldwide and prompting Stewart and the director to issue public apologies to their loved ones.

But Pattinson couldn't lay low forever - he has a film to promote, the thriller "Cosmopolis."

During his "Daily Show" appearance Stewart joked in the show opener that a lot of people might be tuning in for the first time.

A graphic went up on the bottom of the screen during a segment on Republican Mitt Romney's Vice Presidential pick, Paul Ryan, welcoming "Twilight Fans" and alerting them that they were watching a show "mostly dealing with politics and media."

When Pattinson did take the stage, Stewart asked, 'What have you been up to?' and handed him ice cream. "We're just a couple o' gals talkin'... tell me everything."

Pattinson seemed uncomfortable but good-natured. He joked, "I'm trying to avoid eating this, I'm going to split my Spanx."

Stewart then said, "So what are we doing here? Are you all right? Is everything OK? I'm worried about you."

"My biggest problem in life is I'm cheap and I didn't hire a publicist," joked the actor about navigating this highly-publicized time. (For the record, he really doesn't have a publicist.)

Stewart brought the conversation back to ice cream. "The last time I had a bad breakup, Ben & Jerry got me through some of the tougher times. So I thought you and I could talk about, 'Boy, you are better off. Kick her to the curb. Whatever!" he said as Pattinson laughed.

"The Daily Show" wasn't Pattinson's only press appearance. He also attended a premiere of "Cosmopolis" on Monday.

On the red carpet, an upbeat Pattinson wasn't asked directly about the cheating scandal - media were limited on the number of questions they could ask - but he talked at one point about the movie's steamy sex scenes.

"I feel a little uncomfortable doing that. But I mean, some of the scenes in this were like complicated acting scenes, like during a sex scene which makes it - it's a very strange experience," he said with a smile.

Next up, Pattinson will ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, appear on "Good Morning America" Wednesday and then give an interview to MTV on Thursday.

"Cosmopolis" opens Friday in limited release.