Overview
- Bill Maher made the remarks on Friday during the opening monologue of Real Time With Bill Maher, likening a recent Ariana Grande video to a “stick-like” figure and adding, “Maybe that joke will make her eat something,” which prompted laughter followed by audible groans in the studio.
- When the crowd reacted negatively, Maher defended the line on air, saying, “I’m saying, maybe it will help,” before moving on to other topics.
- The joke landed against the backdrop of Grande’s recent Petal release and her representative’s announcement earlier this month that she will step back from public-facing work after finishing the Eternal Sunshine tour and that she has withdrawn from a planned West End role.
- Reaction online and in comments sections was divided, with some users praising blunt humor and others condemning the remark as insensitive given public concern and speculation about Grande’s health and body-image struggles.
- Coverage notes no widely reported apology or disciplinary action from Maher or his employer so far, and observers pointed to Maher’s prior public comments about weight as part of a larger discussion about the boundary between satire and personal harm.