Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Bill Maher

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Bill Maher.

Bill Maher is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting political talk shows like Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO (2003–present) and Politically Incorrect (1993–2002) on Comedy Central and ABC. In 2022, Maher launched the podcast Club Random.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

June 16, 2002: Cancellation of Politically Incorrect

On June 16, 2002, Politically Incorrect was canceled after Maher was criticized for comparing his dogs to mentally disabled children and after controversial comments regarding the 9/11 attacks.

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2002: Cancellation of Politically Incorrect

In 2002, ABC decided against renewing Maher's contract for Politically Incorrect, following controversial remarks he made regarding the 9/11 attacks.

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November 2004: Coco Johnsen sues Maher

In November 2004, Coco Johnsen sued Bill Maher for US$9 million for alleged "insulting, humiliating and degrading racial comments" and breach of promise.

November 23, 2004: Maher responds to Johnsen's lawsuit

On November 23, 2004, Bill Maher's lawyers responded to Coco Johnsen's lawsuit, stating that Maher is a "confirmed bachelor" who never promised to marry or have children with Johnsen.

May 2, 2005: Johnsen's lawsuit against Maher dismissed

On May 2, 2005, Coco Johnsen's lawsuit against Bill Maher was dismissed.

October 19, 2007: Maher confronts 9/11 truthers on his show

On October 19, 2007, Bill Maher confronted several 9/11 truthers and had them ejected from his show audience after they interrupted the live show numerous times. The incident drew media attention.

June 7, 2013: Support for NSA's PRISM Data Collection

On June 7, 2013, Bill Maher expressed limited support on his show for the NSA's PRISM intelligence data collection from private phone calls and the Internet, citing the threat of terrorists obtaining and using nuclear weapons as his tipping point. He did express concern about the 'slippery slope' of such access to private data.

2013: Executive Producer for Vice and Trump Challenge

In 2013, Maher became an executive producer for Vice on HBO. Also, during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2013, Maher offered to pay $5 million to a charity if Donald Trump would produce his birth certificate.

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2014: Defense of Israel's Military Actions

During the 2014 Gaza war, Bill Maher defended Israel's military actions against Palestinians, arguing that Israel was showing restraint and criticizing those who questioned their right to defend themselves, and tweeting controversial comments about dealing with Hamas.

2014: "Flip a District" Contest

In the lead-up to the 2014 midterm elections, Maher conducted a "Flip a District" contest on his HBO show, ultimately selecting Republican Representative John Kline to oust from office, but failing to prevent his reelection.

November 2015: Opposition to Accepting Syrian Refugees

In November 2015, Bill Maher expressed opposition to the United States accepting Syrian refugees, citing concerns about conflicting values and potential threats.

2015: Criticism of Obama's Visit to Saudi Arabia

In 2015, Bill Maher criticized Barack Obama's visit to Saudi Arabia, a close U.S. ally, saying: "Stop respecting their medieval bullshit under the guise of, 'It's their culture.'"

October 2016: Criticism of Julian Assange

In October 2016, Bill Maher criticized WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for publishing leaks from the DNC's emails, expressing his belief that Assange had lost his way and harbored hatred for Hillary Clinton.

March 31, 2017: Comments on Hillary Clinton's Defeat

On March 31, 2017, following Hillary Clinton's defeat, Bill Maher responded on air to suggestions that she was ready to end her low profile and speak out by telling her to "stay in the woods," saying she "fucked it up" and should let someone else have a chance.

June 2017: "House Nigger" Controversy

In June 2017, Bill Maher faced criticism for saying "I'm a house nigger" in response to Senator Ben Sasse on Real Time. Maher apologized for the remark, which HBO called "inexcusable and tasteless."

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2017: Maher's defense of his criticism of Islam

In 2017, Bill Maher defended his criticism of Islam, Sharia law, and Muslim culture, citing his belief in Western values like separation of church and state, equality of the sexes, respect for minorities, free elections, free speech and freedom to gather. He also agreed with Sam Harris that the left has allied itself with Islamists.

February 2018: Maher describes #MeToo as McCarthyism

In February 2018, Bill Maher described the #MeToo movement as McCarthyism.

March 14, 2019: Quoting Trump on Remaining in Office

On March 14, 2019, Bill Maher quoted Donald Trump's assertion that he had the support of the police, the military, and bikers to remain in office, citing this as evidence that Trump would seek to stay in power by force.

August 2019: Denouncement of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement

In August 2019, Bill Maher denounced the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, criticizing its shallow thinking and responding to Rep. Rashida Tlaib's call to boycott his talk show.

August 2019: Economic Recession Comment

In August 2019, Bill Maher stated that an economic recession would be "worth it" if Donald Trump did not get re-elected in 2020, arguing that the country could survive a recession but not another term of Trump's presidency.

2019: Gorski criticizes Maher on vaccines

In 2019, David Gorski again criticized Bill Maher for his HBO interview with doctor Jay Gordon and Maher's claims about vaccines (in particular, the influenza vaccine).

April 2020: Criticism of Equating 'Wuhan Virus' with Racism

In April 2020, Bill Maher criticized those who equated using the term "Wuhan virus" with racism, stating that scientists have been naming diseases after their place of origin for a long time and that it had nothing to do with Asian Americans and everything to do with China.

August 15, 2020: Statement on Trump's Refusal to Leave

In an August 15, 2020, interview with Vanity Fair, Bill Maher stated that "we've baked it into the cake that he's not going to leave," referring to Donald Trump's potential refusal to concede the election.

September 25, 2020: Criticism of New York Times Coverage

On September 25, 2020, during an edition of Real Time, Bill Maher criticized the framing of a New York Times story about Donald Trump's refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, asserting that the media should have amplified the severity of Trump's threats.

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2020: Maher supports Chris Matthews

In 2020, Bill Maher supported Chris Matthews against allegations of sexual harassment.

January 2021: Maher promoted the COVID-19 lab leak theory

In January 2021, Bill Maher promoted the COVID-19 lab leak theory.

March 2021: Criticism of China's Treatment of Uyghurs

In March 2021, Bill Maher criticized China's treatment of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang, saying the United States had "lost" to China in the "battle for the 21st century" and that the U.S. was wasting time in a "never-ending woke competition".

April 16, 2021: Maher calls media coverage of the pandemic "panic porn"

On April 16, 2021, Bill Maher criticized media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling it "panic porn" and stating that the population is badly misinformed due to biased sources of medical information.

2021: Opposition to NFL's "Black National Anthem"

In 2021, Bill Maher opposed the NFL's decision to play the "Black national anthem" before games, considering it a form of segregation.

March 2022: Maher rebukes liberals for opposing the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act

In March 2022, Bill Maher rebuked liberals for their opposition to the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act and defended Republicans for pushing the bill.

May 2022: Maher comments on LGBT identification

In May 2022, Bill Maher commented on the rise in LGBT identification, suggesting it's partly due to feeling free to express oneself and partly due to it being trendy. He also referred to puberty blockers and other transgender health care for trans youth as "literally experimenting on children."

2022: Blaming Hollywood for Gun Violence

In 2022, Bill Maher blamed mass shootings in part on Hollywood's romanticization of gun violence in movies.

2022: Criticism of Disinformation Governance Board

In 2022, Bill Maher criticized the Biden administration's Disinformation Governance Board, agreeing with the comparison that the board was similar to the Ministry of Truth from George Orwell's dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.

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2022: Criticism of Democratic Party's Diversity Priorities

In 2022, Bill Maher criticized the Democratic Party for prioritizing diversity over merit when selecting candidates.

September 2023: Maher criticizes the WGA strike

In September 2023, Bill Maher criticized the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike on his Club Random podcast and in an interview with TMZ. He stated that writers are not owed a living and criticized some of their demands as kooky. He also disagreed with the WGA's proposal of having a mandate to have a particular set number of writers on each show and expressed his wish to have Governor Gavin Newsom help end the strike.

February 2024: Unreleased Interview with Kanye West

In February 2024, Maher revealed that he decided not to release a two-hour interview with Kanye West recorded for Club Random due to the rapper's antisemitic comments.

March 2025: Criticism of NPR and Call for Defunding

In March 2025, Bill Maher criticized NPR as "crazy far-left" and called for defunding public media outlets after NPR's CEO defended their journalism as "completely unbiased".