Bill Maher has never been shy about airing his opinions, but his latest revelation has pulled another late-night TV host into the crossfire. On a recent episode of his Club Random podcast, the Real Time host confirmed there is tension between himself and Jimmy Kimmel.
The friction, Maher says, stems from comments he made about Kimmel’s wife, Jimmy Kimmel Live! co-head writer and executive producer Molly McNearney. Earlier this year, McNearney revealed she had cut off contact with certain family members who support President Donald Trump. Maher weighed in on Real Time, questioning the effectiveness of such an approach. “I can think of 100 [reasons not to vote for Trump],” Maher said. “But I would never present it to someone as an ultimatum. Ultimatums don’t make people rethink their politics. They make them rethink you.”
While Maher framed it as a philosophical difference and attempted to highlight the difference approaches among liberals, it apparently hit a nerve with Kimmel. Maher revealed the ABC host isn't too pleased with the Real Time comedian, who attempted to defend himself on his Club Random podcast:
"I was as kid-gloved as I could. 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. And since she went public with it, it wasn’t out of school for me to go public with it. I love Jimmy. I always have. I don’t know him that well, but he’s a great guy."
Maher's comments come not too long after he claimed Kimmel gave him the cold shoulder in the wake of his suspension from ABC. The HBO host expressed disappointment that Kimmel didn't publicly thank him for defending Kimmel after ABC temporarily pulled the plug on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
Maher vs. Kimmel is a rare late-night rift
If Maher’s account is accurate, this tension represents something unusual in modern late-night TV. The genre has been remarkably free of public feuds for more than a decade. The era of Leno vs. Letterman and Conan has long since passed, replaced by a more collaborative environment where hosts routinely appear on each other’s shows and support one another during controversies.
Kimmel, notably, has not said anything publicly about Maher’s comments. There’s has been no mention in a monologue or veiled joke. From the outside, it looks like a one-sided conflict with Maher raising the subject, recounting slights, and offering explanations for reactions the public hasn’t heard from Kimmel himself.
So why is Maher so intent on making this story public? Perhaps the 69-year-old just has a more old-school approach of airing things out and not shying away from confrontation. Or maybe he feels left out as more late-night TV hosts become headline-makers outside of the comedy world.
While Real Time maintains a devoted audience, Maher no longer dominates the conversation the way he once did. President Donald Trump keeps his attention on Kimmel and Seth Meyers, routinely calling them out by name and engaging in back-and-forth jabs. Maher, on the outside looking in, may think keeping up a feud of his own will help with the limelight.
Whether this develops into an actual feud or remains a one-sided grievance depends largely on Kimmel, who so far has opted for silence. But for now, Maher seems determined to make sure the conversation continues.