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, television host, actor, and political commentator known for his satirical and often controversial takes on current events. He gained prominence as the host of Politically Incorrect and currently hosts Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO. Maher is also the host of the Club Random podcast. He is recognized for his outspoken views and willingness to challenge conventional wisdom, often sparking debate on political and social issues.

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

2002: Controversial Remarks and Cancellation

In 2002, Bill Maher faced controversy and the cancellation of "Politically Incorrect" after making remarks about the 9/11 attacks. He agreed with his guest, conservative pundit Dinesh D'Souza, that the 9/11 terrorists did not act in a cowardly manner. After receiving complaints, FedEx and Sears pulled their advertisements from the show, costing the show significant revenue.

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November 2004: Johnsen Sues Maher for US$9 Million

In November 2004, at the end of their 17-month relationship, Coco Johnsen sued Bill Maher for US$9 million, alleging "pain and suffering" from "insulting, humiliating and degrading racial comments."

November 23, 2004: Maher's Response 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" and never promised to marry Johnsen or have children with her.

October 19, 2007: Confrontation with 9/11 Truthers

On October 19, 2007, Bill Maher confronted and ejected 9/11 truthers from his show audience after they repeatedly interrupted the live show, an incident that garnered media attention and praise from John Gibson of Fox News.

2008: Criticism of the Medical Industry

In 2008, Bill Maher criticized the medical industry and the over-reliance on pharmaceuticals, suggesting that poor diet and lack of exercise were primary causes of illness and "the answer isn't another pill."

2008: Release of Religulous

In 2008, Bill Maher's documentary film "Religulous", which critically views religion, was released.

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2012: Panel Discussion with Salman Rushdie

In 2012, Bill Maher counted himself, Salman Rushdie, and others as "9/11 liberals" who differentiate themselves from mainstream liberals in their criticism of religion.

June 7, 2013: Support for NSA's PRISM Program

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 the tipping point for him.

2013: Executive Producer for Vice and Trump Challenge

In 2013, Bill Maher became an executive producer for "Vice" on HBO. Also in 2013, he offered to pay $5 million to charity if Donald Trump produced his birth certificate, mirroring Trump's challenge to President Obama.

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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 amid criticism over civilian deaths and disproportionate casualty count between Israelis and Palestinians. He argued that Israel is still showing restraint, and he finds it ironic that the same people who were incredulous over how the Jews in World War II were led "to their slaughter" cannot understand why they are defending themselves now.

2014: Flip a District Contest

In 2014, Bill Maher conducted a "Flip a District" contest on his HBO show, aiming to oust Republican Representative John Kline but failed 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, arguing that they have different values which are at odds with American values.

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 animosity towards Hillary Clinton.

March 31, 2017: Response to Clinton's Defeat

On March 31, 2017, following Hillary Clinton's defeat, Bill Maher responded on air to suggestions that Clinton was ready to end her low profile and speak out. Maher advised Clinton to "stay in the woods", suggesting she had her chance and failed, comparing her to Bill Buckner's error in the World Series.

June 2017: Controversy over 'House Nigger' Joke

In June 2017, Bill Maher faced criticism for saying "I'm a house nigger" in an off-the-cuff joke on Real Time. HBO called the remarks "inexcusable and tasteless" and removed the segment from future airings. Maher apologized for the remarks and discussed the controversy on his show.

2017: Critiques of Islam and Western Values

In 2017, Bill Maher defended his criticism of Islam, Sharia law, and Muslim culture by stating his belief in Western values like the separation of church and state, gender equality, 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: Criticism of #MeToo Movement

In February 2018, Bill Maher criticized the #MeToo movement, describing it as McCarthyism, which sparked controversy and debate about his views on sexual harassment and accountability.

April 13, 2018: Prediction of Trump's Refusal to Concede

On April 13, 2018, Bill Maher predicted that Trump would refuse to concede any loss in the 2020 United States presidential election.

March 14, 2019: Quoting Trump on Support

On March 14, 2019, Bill Maher quoted Trump's assertion, "I have the support of the police, the military, the bikers [for Trump]" and "the tough people", citing this as evidence that Trump would seek to remain in office 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 underlying assumptions. He responded to Rep. Rashida Tlaib's call to boycott his talk show, questioning whether she wanted to boycott 93% of her own party.

August 2019: Economic Recession Statement

In August 2019, Bill Maher stated that an economic recession would be "worth it" if Donald Trump did not get re-elected in 2020, emphasizing the importance of preventing another term for Trump.

2019: Criticism for Vaccine Claims

In 2019, David Gorski criticized Bill Maher for his HBO interview with Dr. Jay Gordon and Maher's claims about vaccines, especially the influenza vaccine, and speculation about a link between vaccines and autism. Gorski deemed it inappropriate that Maher received the Richard Dawkins Award.

January 25, 2020: 'New Rules' Segment on Trump

On January 25, 2020, Bill Maher dedicated a 'New Rules' end segment to the subject of Trump refusing to concede any loss in the 2020 United States presidential election.

April 2020: Defense of Term 'Wuhan Virus'

In April 2020, Bill Maher criticized those who equated using the term "Wuhan virus" with racism, arguing that scientists have historically named diseases after their places of origin.

August 7, 2020: Prediction of Violence by Trump Supporters

On August 7, 2020, Bill Maher criticized Democratic Party politicians for not taking the threat seriously, predicting there would be violence by armed Trump supporters attempting to keep Trump in power.

August 15, 2020: Prediction of 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.

September 25, 2020: Criticism of New York Times Framing

On September 25, 2020, Bill Maher criticized the framing of a New York Times story by Michael Crowley headlined "Trump Won't Commit to Peaceful Transfer of Power", asserting that the media should have amplified the severity of Trump's threats.

2020: Support for Chris Matthews

In 2020, Bill Maher voiced his support for Chris Matthews against allegations of sexual harassment, further fueling discussions and debates surrounding the #MeToo movement and its implications.

January 2021: Promotion of COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory

In January 2021, Bill Maher promoted the COVID-19 lab leak theory, contributing to discussions around the origins of the pandemic.

March 2021: Criticism of China and the US

In March 2021, Bill Maher criticized China's treatment of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang. However, he also said the United States has "lost" to China in the "battle for the 21st century" and criticized the U.S. for focusing on a "never-ending woke competition".

April 16, 2021: Criticism of Media Coverage of COVID-19

On April 16, 2021, Bill Maher criticized media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, referring to it as "panic porn" and suggesting that biased sources of medical information lead to a misinformed population.

2021: Opposition to '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. He argued for one national anthem and rejected separate ceremonies and dorms based on race, which drew some criticism.

2021: Urging America to Take in Afghan Refugees

In 2021, after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, Bill Maher urged America to take in Afghan refugees.

March 2022: Defense of 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: Comments on LGBT Identification and Transgender Health Care

In May 2022, Bill Maher commented on the rise in LGBT identification, suggesting it may be partly due to trendiness. He also referred to puberty blockers and other transgender health care for trans youth as "literally experimenting on children", sparking criticism and accusations of transphobia.

2022: Blaming Hollywood for Mass Shootings

In 2022, Bill Maher blamed mass shooting in part due to Hollywood romanticization of gun violence in movies. However Maher has said that despite him not liking guns he is glad that they exist saying it "levels the playing field".

2022: Criticism of Biden Administration's Disinformation Governance Board

In 2022, Bill Maher criticized the Biden administration's Disinformation Governance Board and agreed 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 'Checking Boxes'

In 2022, Bill Maher criticized the Democratic Party for "checking boxes" in regard to candidates of different identity groups, including race. He stated that Democrats prioritize diversity over merit. Maher has also spoken out against critical race theory but supports teaching the history of racism.

September 2023: Criticism of 2023 Writers Guild of America Strike

In September 2023, Bill Maher criticized the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike on his Club Random podcast. While he stated he supported the strike, he criticized some of the demands such as mandating a particular number of writers on each show. He also expressed his wish for Governor Gavin Newsom to help end the strike.

February 2024: Decided Not to Release Kanye West Interview

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

March 2025: Criticized NPR's Journalism and Called for Defunding

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

September 2025: Criticism of Lack of Coverage on Persecution of Christians in Nigeria

In September 2025, Bill Maher criticized the lack of news coverage on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, stating that they are being "systematically killed" and rhetorically questioned, "Where are the kids protesting this?"