Bill Maher Says Jimmy Kimmel Is “Very Mad” at Him Over Political Disagreement

Bill Maher has opened up about an apparent rift with fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, saying their friendship may be strained because of political differences.

During a recent episode of the Club Random podcast, Maher spoke with comedian Adam Carolla and revealed that Kimmel is “very mad” at him. Carolla and Kimmel previously worked together as co-hosts of The Man Show in the early 2000s, making the conversation especially personal.

“Jimmy Kimmel, you know, he’s very mad at me and I know you’re close to him,” Maher told Carolla. Maher said he hopes Carolla passes along an apology, even though he believes he didn’t do anything wrong. “We can have disagreements,” Maher added, pointing out that he and Carolla don’t agree on everything but still remain friendly.

Maher went on to say that disagreements within the Democratic Party frustrate him more than clashes with Republicans. According to Maher, Republicans are often more willing to appear on his show and accept criticism.

“They always come to my show,” Maher said, citing a recent appearance by a Republican senator who, in his words, “took his beating like a man.” Maher argued that Democrats are sometimes less open to debate if someone doesn’t fully agree with their views.

Despite the tension, Maher emphasized that he still thinks highly of Kimmel. “He’s one of the nicest guys,” Maher said. However, he made it clear that he won’t change his style of comedy or political commentary to please anyone. Maher said he will continue to criticize both the left and the right, adding bluntly that if that isn’t acceptable, “then I think you’re the asshole.”

Maher did not initially explain why Kimmel is upset, but the issue appears to stem from a Real Time episode last November. During that show, Maher criticized comments made by Kimmel’s wife, Molly McNearney, who had publicly shared that she cut ties with some family members because they supported Donald Trump.

McNearney had discussed the situation on a podcast, saying it was painful because Trump frequently attacks her husband publicly. She said voting for Trump felt like a rejection of her and her family, and admitted that she had lost relationships as a result.

Maher responded by questioning the effectiveness of ultimatums in politics. While he said he could list many reasons not to support Trump, Maher argued that forcing people to agree only pushes them away. “Ultimatums don’t make people rethink their politics,” he said. “They make them rethink you.”

On a later Club Random episode, Maher said Kimmel was upset over those remarks. Maher insisted he tried to be respectful and apologized again, but stood by his opinion. He added that since McNearney spoke publicly, he felt it was fair to respond publicly as well.

“I love Jimmy,” Maher said. “I think he’s a great guy. It bugs me that, because of this, we may never talk again.”

Maher ended by saying that divisions on the political left, especially around “woke” culture, have created deep and lasting splits — even between longtime friends.