Bill Maher says he’s at odds with fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
On a recent episode of Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, he told guest Adam Carolla that Kimmel is upset with him. Carolla previously worked alongside Kimmel at Comedy Central in the early 2000s.
“Jimmy Kimmel, you know, he’s very mad at me and I know you’re close to him,” Maher said. “I hope you tell him that I’m sorry that it got bent out of shape.”
Maher added that he doesn’t believe he did anything wrong, arguing that disagreements don’t have to end friendships.
“I don’t think I did anything wrong. We can have disagreements,” he said. “I mean, you and I don’t agree on everything … and yet we’re cool.”
In the conversation, Maher reiterated his long-running criticism of what he views as the political left’s intolerance for dissent. He said his satire targets both sides, and suggested other late-night hosts don’t approach politics the same way.
“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 said, adding that Republicans still appear on his show. “I don’t just buy into the left-wing (nonsense), and I never stop making fun of the right-wing (nonsense) at all.”
Despite the apparent rift, Maher said he still thinks highly of Kimmel and doesn’t want the relationship to end.
“I think he’s a great guy, and it bugs me that … we may never talk again,” he said.
Maher didn’t directly identify what sparked the tension, but it appears connected to comments he made about Kimmel’s wife, Molly McNearney.
In November, McNearney said she had lost relationships with some family members over their support for President Donald Trump. Maher later criticized her approach on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” saying she had sent relatives an email listing reasons not to vote for Trump and that the message came across as an ultimatum.
“Ultimatums don’t make people rethink their politics,” Maher said. “They make them rethink you.”
