Bill Maher believes his friendship with Jimmy Kimmel is over for good.
While interviewing Adam Carolla on Monday’s episode of his “Club Random” podcast, Maher revealed that he’s had a falling out with Kimmel following comments he made about the latter’s wife, Molly McNearney.
“Jimmy Kimmel, you know, he’s very mad at me and I know you’re close to him,” Maher told Carolla, who co-hosted the Comedy Central series “The Man Show” with Kimmel from 1999 to 2004.
Bill Maher revealed that Jimmy Kimmel is “very mad” at him.
Maher believes Kimmel “may never talk” to him again. Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
“I hope you tell him that I’m sorry that it got bent out of shape,” Maher, 70, continued. “I don’t think I did anything wrong. We can have disagreements. I mean, you and I don’t agree on everything, look at this clash now, and yet we’re cool.”
The “Real Time” host noted that while Kimmel, a staunch liberal, is “one of the nicest guys” he knows, he gets frustrated with Kimmel’s political takes.
“This is the difference between the right and the left. It bugs me so much,” Maher explained. “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, whereas the Republicans, they always f–ing come to my show.”
Maher aired his grievances with Kimmel while interviewing Adam Carolla on his podcast. ABC via Getty Images
Maher called out Kimmel for being too hard-headed about politics. Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
“I don’t just buy into the left-wing bulls–t,” Maher went on, “and I never stop making fun of the right-wing bulls–t at all! And like, if that’s not good enough for you, then I think you’re the a–hole, and I don’t think Jimmy is an a–hole.”
Maher added that the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host “is a great guy, and it bugs me that, you know, because of what the latest thing was, that, you know, we may never talk again.”
“You guys should be thick as thieves and on the same page,” Carolla, 61, told Maher.
Page Six has reached out to Kimmel’s rep for comment.
“I don’t think I did anything wrong,” Maher said about his drama with Kimmel.
Maher is worried he and Kimmel “will never talk” again. ABC via Getty Images
In November, Maher called out Kimmel’s wife for cutting ties with family members who voted for Donald Trump.
“It hurts me so much because of the personal relationship I now have where my husband is out there fighting this man,” McNearney, 47, said when she joined Kimmel on the “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast.
“To me, them voting for Trump is them not voting for my husband and me and our family,” she added. “And I, unfortunately, have kind of lost relationships with people in my family because of it.”
Maher criticized Kimmel’s wife, Molly McNearney in Nov. 2025 for cutting ties with pro-Trump family members. WireImage
“To me, them voting for Trump is them not voting for my husband and me and our family,” McNearney said Getty Images
While reacting to McNearney’s comments on his HBO talk show at the time, Maher said, “She says she’s lost relationships with relatives because she wrote them an email before the election with ten reasons why they shouldn’t vote for Trump, and some still didn’t obey, so you know. Ultimatums. Ten reasons? I can think of 100.”
“But I would never present it to someone as an ultimatum,” Maher continued. “Ultimatums don’t make people rethink their politics. They make them rethink you.”
Then, in December, Maher revealed on his “Club Random” podcast that Kimmel was upset with him for criticizing his wife.
Maher confirmed that Kimmel was mad at him for criticizing his wife. Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
“I hope we’re friends forever, but I don’t know,” Maher said. Getty Images
“I was as kid-gloved as I could,” Maher stated. “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’ve 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.”
Kimmel is notoriously critical of Trump, 79, and Republicans on his late-night show.
In September, Kimmel was suspended by Disney for comments he made about Charlie Kirk’s assassination. He returned to the air several days later.