Bill Maher Makes Shocking Confession About Jimmy Kimmel Amid Feud
What To Know
- Bill Maher expressed regret over his falling out with Jimmy Kimmel, admitting he worries they may never speak again after a recent feud.
- The rift began when Maher criticized Kimmel’s wife, Molly McNearney, on his show, leading to Kimmel cutting off communication despite Maher’s attempts to clarify his intentions.
- Maher lamented the inability of some on the political left to tolerate disagreements, emphasizing his respect for Kimmel and his hope for reconciliation.
Real Time host Bill Maher is feeling regretful about the breakdown of his relationship with Jimmy Kimmel, admitting that he worries the two “may never talk again.”
The late-night host made the confession to guest Adam Carolla on the latest episode of the Club Random podcast, saying, “Jimmy Kimmel, he’s very mad at me. And I know you’re close to him. I hope you tell him that, you know, I’m sorry that he got bent out of shape.”
Back in November, Maher mocked Kimmel’s wife, Molly McNearney, on an episode of Real Time after she said she emailed several relatives a “list of 10 reasons not to vote” for Donald Trump and cut off family members who did not comply.
“Ultimatums don’t make people rethink their politics. They make them rethink you,” Maher said at the time. “Write a top 10 list to yourself where you try to imagine ten reasons why 77 million Americans didn’t want to trust you with taking power… As I like to remind my very pure friends, we voted for the same person. You’re just why [Kamala Harris] lost.”
Maher later admitted that Kimmel hadn’t spoken to him since he made the comments.
“I don’t think I did anything wrong. We can have disagreements,” he told Carolla, per the New York Post. “This is the difference between the right and the left. It bugs me so much. My tribe is supposed to be the left, but these are the people who just can’t talk to you unless you’re exactly there.”
Maher called Kimmel “one of the nicest guys” and said he “exchanged emails” with him in the past. “I did a mea culpa when we exchanged emails… just saying, like, sometimes I am a little brash about me when they compare me with the other late-night guys, and I’m like, I’m not like you guys,” he said. “I’m not. You could all exchange your monologues, all of you, and no one would know the difference in tone.”
“And like, if that’s not good enough for you, then I think you’re the a**h***,” Maher continued. “And I don’t think Jimmy is an a**h***. I think he’s a great guy, and it bugs me that, you know, because of what the latest thing was, that we may never talk again.”
Maher previously addressed his falling out with Kimmel during an interview with The Young Turks host Ana Kasparian in December. “I was as kid-gloved as I could,” he stated, referring to what he said about McNearney. “And I see they’re mad at me. Uh, I’m sorry. I mean, I was being, again, as respectful as I could, but I don’t agree with that point of view.”
He added, “I love Jimmy. I always have. I don’t know him that well, but he’s a great guy. I hope we’re friends forever, but I don’t know. You know, the liberals and the woke, that’s a schism. It just is.”
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services