Wanda Sykes and Bill Maher had a heated exchange over a joke at the 2026 Golden Globes, with Sykes revealing the encounter on the Vulture podcast Good One.
Award Show Joke
During the ceremony, Sykes presented the award for best performance in stand-up comedy and took a jab at Maher, saying, "There’s some people pissed off that a queer Black woman is up here doing the job of two mediocre white guys." She continued to roast the nominees, including Maher, with the quip, "Bill Maher, you give us so much, but I would love a little less. Just try less."
Post-Show Confrontation
After the show, Maher approached Sykes while they were waiting for their cars. "He was like, ‘What was that about?’ And I was like, ‘It’s a joke, Bill,’" Sykes recalled. Maher responded, "Well, I mean, it wasn’t even a joke," to which Sykes countered, "Oh, no, I heard laughing. It was clearly a joke."
Continued Disagreement
The disagreement escalated, with Sykes telling Maher, "See? You’re doing exactly what we said in the joke. We need less of this. You’re epitomizing the joke. Less of this." Maher reportedly said he had been receiving texts about the comment, labeling it a "stupid joke."
Response and Podcast Invite
Feeling provoked by Maher's use of "stupid," Sykes retorted, "I got a lot of texts telling me how great it was, and how they don’t like you, and it was really funny." She added, "I guess that’s the problem. You’re watching Fox News, and I’m over here on MSNBC. See?" Maher then invited her to be on his podcast, which Sykes declined.
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/bill-maher-confronted-wanda-sykes-golden-globes-joke-1236621435/
