Bill Maher confronted Wanda Sykes privately about Golden Globes joke
Bill Maher confronted Wanda Sykes privately about Golden Globes joke
Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYSun, June 14, 2026 at 7:05 PM UTC
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Bill Maher wasn't laughing when Wanda Sykes roasted him at the Golden Globes.
In an appearance on Vulture's "Good One" podcast, Sykes revealed the "Real Time" host privately confronted her over a joke she made about him on stage at January's Golden Globe Awards.
While presenting the award for best stand-up comedy performance at the ceremony, Sykes poked fun at Maher, who was nominated in the category. "Bill Maher, you give us so much, but I would love a little less," she quipped.
Speaking on "Good One," Sykes said Maher took issue with this joke after the show.
Wanda Sykes, left, revealed Bill Maher confronted her after the Golden Globes about the joke she aimed at him.
"We were waiting for our cars, and he was like, 'What was that about?' " Sykes recalled. "I was like, 'It's a joke, Bill.' He was like, 'Well, I mean, it wasn't even a joke.' I said, 'Oh, no, I heard laughter.' It was clearly a joke. ... I said, 'See? You're doing exactly what we said in the joke. We need less of this. Do this less. You're epitomizing the joke! Less of this!' He didn't care for it."
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Sykes added, "He was like, 'I'm getting a lot of texts, and people are saying, what was that? It was a stupid joke.' When he said stupid, I was like, 'OK, now you're gonna get it.' I was like, 'Well, I've got a lot of texts telling me how great it was and how they don't like you and it was really funny.' "
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Sykes also said Maher invited her to be a guest on his "Club Random" podcast, which she rejected. "I was like, 'Absolutely not,' " she said.
USA TODAY has reached out to a representative for Maher for comment.
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Sykes made jokes about all of the nominees in the Golden Globes' stand-up category while presenting, though Maher was the only one who was visibly displeased by what she said. As Sykes made her remark about him, the broadcast showed Maher in the audience looking unamused.
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Maher ultimately lost the Globe to Ricky Gervais, who was not in attendance. Sykes also made fun of Gervais, who is famously an atheist and has received criticism for jokes about trans people, by jokingly thanking "God and the trans community" on his behalf.
In an episode of his "Club Random" podcast released after the Golden Globes but recorded beforehand, Maher said he would be "shocked" if he won the award because "I speak freely, and this woke town ... hates that."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wanda Sykes reveals Bill Maher confrontation after Golden Globes joke
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
