What To Know
- Bill Maher revealed on his Club Random podcast that there’s one A-lister who refuses to return to Real Time.
- The Oscar winner was involved in a heated debate about Islamic extremism on the show in 2014.
- Maher said he invites the Hollywood star back ‘every year,’ to no avail.
Real Time host Bill Maher has revealed there is one Hollywood A-lister who will never do his show again after a heated showdown about Islamic extremism back in 2014.
On Monday’s (August 17) episode of his Club Random podcast, Maher spoke with Iranian-American comedian Max Amini and revealed that Ben Affleck has refused to return to his HBO show since a tense argument broke out during his 2014 appearance.
During the Real Time episode in question, the panel was discussing the rise of Islamic extremism. Maher said on the show that he’d received a lot of hate for saying that “liberals need to stand up for liberal principles,” per The Daily Beast.
“All I’m saying is that liberal principles like freedom of speech, freedom to practice any religion you want without fear of violence, freedom to leave a religion, equality for women, equality for minorities, including homosexuals… these are liberal principles that liberals applaud for,” Maher stated. “But then when you say in the Muslim world, this is what’s lacking, then they get upset.”
Affleck took issue with comments made by Maher and fellow guest, podcaster Sam Harris, accusing them of equating extremists with everyday people who follow the practices of Islam. The Argo actor called their arguments “racist,” “gross,” and “nuts,” and told Maher, “It’s like saying ‘those shifty Jews.’”
Maher said on the latest Club Random podcast that he’s asked Affleck to come back on his show “every year” since then, though the Good Will Hunting star has not accepted the invite.
“I mean it’s… I love him,” Maher said. “But we just are gonna disagree on that one. I may, you know, if I talked to him privately or… it’s been 12 years, maybe I think there’s a middle ground.”
The comedian said that certain comments “got exaggerated” and “for some reason it got emotional.” He admitted that people “love” those kinds of deeply personal debates. “More people mentioned that episode to me than anything,” he stated. “It wasn’t the best episode we ever had, but it got emotional with a movie star. That’s America.”
Harris, who also faced Affleck’s wrath during the heated debate, previously appeared on Club Random in 2022. During his appearance, he revealed that he and Affleck had “buried the hatchet” privately. Maher said he hasn’t had that opportunity.
Amini quipped that Affleck, who has been divorced twice, could benefit from a “temporary marriage,” a private and verbal fixed-term marriage contract that is practiced in Twelver Shia Islam.
“That’s perfect, the way that came around to that,” Maher said while laughing. “That’s hysterical. You’re right. If anybody could use the temporary marriage… just for J.Lo.” Affleck married Jennifer Lopez in 2022 after the pair rekindled their romance; they divorced in 2024.
Real Time With Bill Maher, Fridays at 10/9c, HBO
