EXCLUSIVE: Stand-Up Smackdown! 'Most Hated Man in TV' Bill Maher Goes Berserk by Trading Blows Over Politics With Dave Chappelle
Bill Maher has traded political blows with Dave Chappelle in a heated stand-up clash over politics.
Feb. 3 2026, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
Bill Maher is fast finding himself the most hated man in Tinseltown after his latest blowup with fellow funnyman Dave Chappelle, RadarOnline.com can reveal
Half Baked star Chappelle bashed Maher, who ripped him for performing in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Comedy Festival.
Free Speech Feud Explodes
Dave Chappelle responded to Bill Maher with a profanity-laced tirade during a Netflix stand-up special.
Maher was among many critics of The Chappelle Show star and other comics, including Pete Davidson, Bill Burr, Aziz Ansari, Jimmy Carr and Louis C.K., who performed at the festival, pointing to the country's lack of free speech, record of human rights abuses and role in 9/11.
On the Oct. 3 episode of his HBO gabfest, Real Time, Maher, 69, told his guest C.K.: "Dave Chappelle ... was in the press today saying that you can speak more freely over [there] than in America. It is not true."
"I don't know if that's true," C.K. responded.
Maher replied: "Oh, it's not true," and then challenged Chappelle to tell a joke about the Islamic prophet Muhammad to find out how free the speech in Saudi Arabia really is.
Chappelle, 52, fired back at Maher's condemnation in a profanity-laced tirade on his new Netflix stand-up special.
Comedy Feud Turns Personal
Louis C.K. joined Maher on 'Real Time' as he disputed claims about free speech in Saudi Arabia.
"You know, and Bill Maher, the famous comedian," he said. "I've known Bill since I was like 18, 19 years old, and I've never said this publicly, but f--k that guy.
"I'm so f-----g tired of his little smug, cracker-a-- commentary," he added.
Chappelle, who converted to Islam when he was 17, defended his statement about free speech, arguing: "Don't forget what I just went through," referring to how he almost got canceled in the U.S. several years ago for making transgender jokes. He pointed out the same anti-trans jokes went over "very well in Saudi Arabia."
Comedy Feud Turns Personal
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Sources said Howard Stern is among the figures previously involved in public feuds with Maher.
The punchline bust-up is the latest in a long line of feuds for Maher, who has butted heads with Howard Stern over his public praise for his wife, Beth Stern; Ben Affleck over his praises for Islam; and Jimmy Kimmel's wife for saying she cut off friends who voted for President Donald Trump.
"Bill's running out of friends in Hollywood," a source said.
