'He's deeply confused': Bill Maher faces backlash over his controversial remarks on OJ Simpson's murder trial acquittal

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Bill Maher stirred controversy after he shared his thoughts on the OJ Simpson trial during the Friday, April 12, episode of 'Real Time With Bill Maher Overtime'. 

Alongside Piers Morgan, the late-night host discussed the recent death of Simpson, reflecting on the moment in 1995 when the ex-NFL star was found not guilty in the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman.

Bill Maher says it's 'totally understandable' why some Black people cheered when OJ Simpson was acquitted of murder

Morgan expressed his fascination with how many people "were prepared to accept that [Simpson] probably got away with it but thought it was one in the eye back in the justice system" and denounced the acquittal as a "travesty of justice". 

Maher shared his perspective, asserting, "That's not what it was ... I don't think people ever really interpreted that the right way. I think Black folks knew very well that he did it, and I don't blame them one bit for cheering him on."

He continued, "I mean when you're on the wrong end of the justice system for as long as they had been ... When they finally got one. When we saw that split screen of White people going, 'Oh my god justice has not been done', and Black people screaming in joy. Totally understandable." 

The late-night host shed light on the systemic racism and injustice endured by Black Americans within and outside the criminal justice system for generations prior to the Simpson trial and how his acquittal was something far more than an individual outcome.  

Having said that, Maher did admit that Simpson wasn't exactly "the best recipient" of this perceived moral correction due to his troubled past. 

The late-night host subsequently expressed, "You can’t have two different complete histories in America and then expect people to have the same reaction to something like that. Yes, it was a miscarriage of justice, but for White people to be that upset about the one time, the one time a Black guy gets off, I thought that was the gross part of it."

One point of agreement between Maher and Morgan was their shared belief that Simpson had indeed murdered his ex-wife and her friend. The late-night host stressed, "Of course he did it! There’s no doubt that he did it. Piers, her blood was in his sock."

Maher acknowledged that while Simpson's acquittal may have been a form of "payback," echoing sentiments expressed by a juror from the case who linked it to the Rodney King beating, the broader issue of racial injustice in America persists and will continue to impact society for decades, as per The Daily Beast. 

He emphasized, "Because the legacy of our despicable racial past doesn’t go away in a generation. It takes a very long time."

Internet reacts to Bill Maher's remarks regarding the OJ Simpson trial 

One wrote, "Disagree with Mahers rantpoint at the end of this clip excusing future generations of bad behavior."

Another expressed, "Maher constantly rails against the woke ruining America. And then, as here, he expresses woke ideology himself! He remains a deeply confused man. It seems that he only recently realized the problem with woke, but still doesn’t understand the connection to many of his own beliefs". 

"I think cheering for a murderer because he got away with it makes you an evil person no matter what the reason is," remarked a person, while someone else added, "Such a pathetic dialog. Bill can't blame people for cheering on a murderer? That's pathetic. There is no excuse."

"So they was all celebrating someone getting away with murder? So weird," expressed one more, and an individual declared, "What a ridiculous argument."

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