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 the political talk shows *Real Time with Bill Maher* on HBO and *Politically Incorrect*, which aired on Comedy Central and ABC. In 2022, he 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. Several months earlier, the Sinclair Broadcast Group had dropped the show from its ABC-affiliated stations.

2002: Politically Incorrect Cancellation

In 2002, ABC decided against renewing Maher's contract for Politically Incorrect after a controversial on-air remark following the September 11 attacks.

November 2004: Johnsen Sues Maher

In November 2004, Coco Johnsen sued Bill Maher for US$9 million, alleging racial comments and a broken promise of marriage, financial support, and a house in Beverly Hills after their 17-month relationship ended.

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 marriage or children and accusing Johnsen of extortion.

May 2, 2005: Johnsen's Lawsuit Dismissed

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

October 19, 2007: Maher Confronts 9/11 Truthers

On October 19, 2007, Bill Maher confronted and had 9/11 truthers ejected from his show audience after they disrupted the live broadcast. The incident received significant media attention.

2008: Maher on Health Plans and Nutrition

In 2008, Bill Maher stated that poor nutrition is a primary cause of illness and that the answer isn't another pill, during an episode of his show discussing the presidential candidates' health plans.

2009: Maher on the Affordable Care Act

In 2009, Bill Maher stated that Obama should pass the Affordable Care Act with just 51 votes, dismissing the need for 60 votes and referring to those who disagree with evolution as "stupid."

2011: Maher Declares Apatheism

In 2011, Bill Maher referred to himself as an apatheist, stating he doesn't know or care what happens after death. He clarified that on a scale of certainty about God's non-existence, he ranked himself at 6.9, emphasizing doubt as the most appropriate human response.

2012: Maher on Atheism

In 2012, Bill Maher stated on his HBO show that atheism is not a religion and doesn't require much time, reiterating his stance against the certitude of both the existence and non-existence of deities.

June 7, 2013: Expression of 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. While he trusted the Obama administration to employ the program responsibly, he described the NSA's access to private data as a "slippery slope".

2013: Executive Producer for Vice and challenge to Trump

In 2013, Maher became one of the executive producers for the HBO newsmagazine series Vice. Also in 2013, Maher appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and 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

In 2014, during the 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 criticized those who questioned Israel's self-defense.

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 at odds with American values, citing cases in the UK where Muslim immigrants had carried out female genital mutilation and honor killings.

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, stating that he felt Assange had "lost his way a little" and that Assange hated Hillary Clinton.

March 31, 2017: Response to Hillary 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 by saying, "Hillary, stay in the woods... You had your shot. You fucked it up."

June 2017: Controversy Over "House Nigger" Joke

In June 2017, Bill Maher faced criticism for saying in an off-the-cuff joke "I'm a house nigger" in response to guest Senator Ben Sasse offering Maher to work on the fields in his home state on Real Time. HBO called Maher's remarks "inexcusable and tasteless", and Maher apologized for the remarks.

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2017: Maher on Western Values and Islam

In 2017, Bill Maher defended his criticisms of Islam and Muslim culture, stating his belief in Western values such as separation of church and state, equality of the sexes, and free speech. Maher also agreed with Sam Harris that the left has allied itself with Islamists, and liberals have failed to stand up to Islamic extremism.

February 2018: Maher Criticizes #MeToo Movement

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

August 2019: Denouncement of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement

In August 2019, Bill Maher denounced the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, criticizing the notion that the conflict is solely based on race, with Israelis being mostly white and Palestinians mostly brown. He also responded to Rep. Rashida Tlaib's call to boycott his talk show, questioning if she would boycott 93% of her own party, which had voted to condemn the BDS movement.

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August 2019: Statement on Economic Recession and Donald Trump

In August 2019, Bill Maher stated that an economic recession would be "worth it" if Donald Trump did not get re-elected in 2020, saying, "We have survived many recessions. We can't survive another Donald Trump term."

2019: Criticism for Maher's Claims About Vaccines

In 2019, Surgical Oncologist David Gorski again criticized Bill Maher for his HBO interview with Dr. Jay Gordon and Maher's claims about vaccines, including the speculation about a link between vaccines and autism.

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 historically named diseases after their place of origin, citing examples such as Zika, Ebola, and Spanish flu.

2020: Maher Supports Chris Matthews

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

January 2021: Maher Promotes 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 and US 'Woke' Culture

In March 2021, Bill Maher criticized China's treatment of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang and claimed the United States has "lost" to China in the "battle for the 21st century." He also stated that the United States is wasting time in a "never-ending woke competition".

April 16, 2021: Maher Calls COVID-19 Coverage '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.

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

March 2022: Maher Defends Republicans on Florida Education Bill

In March 2022, Bill Maher rebuked liberals for opposing the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act and defended Republicans for supporting the bill.

May 2022: Maher on LGBT Identification and Transgender Healthcare

In May 2022, Bill Maher said that the rise in LGBT numbers is partly due to people feeling free to identify, but also because it's trendy. Maher also referred to puberty blockers and other transgender health care for trans youth as "literally experimenting on children".

2022: Blaming Mass Shootings on Hollywood Romanticization of Gun Violence

In 2022, Bill Maher blamed mass shootings in part on Hollywood's romanticization of gun violence in movies, although he also said he is glad that guns exist saying it "levels the playing field".

2022: Criticism of 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 Diversity Practices

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.

September 2023: Maher Criticizes WGA Strike

In September 2023, Bill Maher criticized the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike on his Club Random podcast, stating that writers are not owed a living and some demands are "kooky." He clarified that he supports the strike but disagrees with certain demands, such as mandating a set number of writers on each show. Maher expressed his wish to have Governor Gavin Newsom help end the strike.

February 2024: Unreleased Kanye West Interview

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

March 2025: Criticism of NPR

After NPR CEO Katherine Maher defended NPR's journalism as "completely unbiased" at a congressional hearing in March 2025, Bill Maher characterized the radio network as "crazy far-left" and called for defunding public media outlets, arguing that the country is "past the age" of subsidizing them.