Bill Maher calls out ‘ungrateful’ Jimmy Kimmel for not thanking him after ABC suspension support

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: HBO host Bill Maher has publicly taken aim at fellow late-night star Jimmy Kimmel, accusing him of snubbing him after Maher defended Kimmel during his recent suspension from ABC.

Maher expressed disappointment that Kimmel failed to acknowledge his support, even though he had been “adamant” in speaking out for him when the controversy unfolded.

Bill Maher slams Jimmy Kimmel for not acknowledging his support

During the latest episode of his 'Club Random' podcast, Maher told actor and comedian Michael Rapaport that Kimmel “apparently doesn't like me too much anymore” because he failed to thank him for standing up for him during his suspension.

“Look, Jimmy apparently doesn't like me too much anymore because he thanked everybody but me. And I was adamant, adamant, about supporting him that week and the next week,” Maher said.

He added that while he did not agree with Kimmel’s remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer, he had been vocal in defending Kimmel’s right to remain on air.

“Like I said, I can't lie and say I think what he said was accurate, but I was adamant that he shouldn't be thrown off the air. He did a great show; I went on and on,” Maher said. (Skip to 11:56 to hear what Bill Maher said about Jimmy Kimmel.)

Maher, 69, had previously blasted ABC for suspending Kimmel over his comments about Tyler Robinson, the alleged killer of Kirk. Reports at the time indicated that Robinson had left-leaning political views, contradicting Kimmel’s suggestion that he was a Trump supporter.

Bill Maher defends Jimmy Kimmel, accuses ABC of 'always caving'

On a recent episode of HBO’s 'Real Time with Bill Maher,' the outspoken comedian called out ABC for bowing to pressure after the backlash against Kimmel.

“ABC, they are steady. ABC stands for ‘Always Be Caving,’” Maher said at the time. “So Jimmy, pal, I am with you. I support you. And on the bright side, you don't have to pretend anymore that you like Disneyland.”

Maher, who was fired from his own ABC show Politically Incorrect in 2002 for controversial comments about the 9/11 hijackers, also pointed out that while Kimmel’s statement was “not exactly right,” it did not warrant termination.

“We don't agree on that. He [shouldn’t] lose his job for it,” he said.

Bill Maher says late-night hosts are ‘ideologically captured’

Despite his earlier support, Maher told Rapaport that he believes Kimmel, along with several other late-night hosts, has become too politically one-sided.

“My problem with him and hosts like that, quite frankly, they're all quite similar in this regard, is that they're ideologically captured by one side,” he said. “It’s just not what I do or what I'm doing. And so, and there's a reason why half the country feels insulted by them and has turned off to them because it's just one very predictable point of view.”

Maher argued that such ideological echo chambers alienate large sections of the audience. “This proves that it’s often not completely accurate because that was not really a smart thing to say, that this guy who shot Charlie Kirk was on the MAGA team,” he added, criticizing the liberal “Bluesky crowd” for spreading misinformation.