By Trendsetter Tribune 
The world of late-night television is seeing a rare public schism as Bill Maher revealed on Monday, February 9, 2026, that he and Jimmy Kimmel are no longer on speaking terms. During an episode of his Club Random podcast with guest Adam Carolla, Maher expressed deep regret over the rift, admitting, “It bugs me that… we may never talk again.”
The tension highlights a growing divide between Maher’s “anti-woke” brand of liberalism and the more traditional partisan stances of his late-night peers.
The “Ultimatum” That Sparked the Feud
While Maher noted he and Kimmel had swapped emails in an attempt to clear the air, the root of the anger appears to be comments Maher made on Real Time in November regarding Kimmel’s wife, Molly McNearney.
- The Incident: McNearney, the co-head writer of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, shared on the We Can Do Hard Things podcast that she had sent an email to family members outlining 10 reasons not to vote for Donald Trump. She admitted to losing relationships with those who did not “obey” the plea.
- Maher’s Critique: Maher blasted the move on his show, calling it an “ultimatum.” He argued, “Ultimatums don’t make people rethink their politics. They make them rethink you.”
- The Fallout: Kimmel was reportedly incensed by the public jab at his wife. Despite Maher’s private attempts to explain that his criticism was about the tactic and not the couple themselves, communication has apparently ceased.
Maher vs. “The Tribe”
On his podcast, Maher used the beef to illustrate his broader frustration with the modern American left.
| Maher’s Argument | The Comparison |
| Purity Tests | Maher claims “his tribe” (the left) won’t talk to you unless you are “exactly there” ideologically. |
| The Right’s Openness | He noted that Republicans (like Senator John Kennedy) frequently come on his show, “take their beating,” and remain friendly. |
| Monologue “Tone” | Maher took a swipe at the late-night landscape, claiming Kimmel, Colbert, and Meyers could “exchange your monologues and no one would know the difference.” |
Adam Carolla: The Middle Man
The choice of guest for the reveal was strategic; Adam Carolla and Jimmy Kimmel have been “thick as thieves” since their days co-hosting The Man Show and Crank Yankers.
- The Message: Maher explicitly asked Carolla to pass along an apology: “I hope you tell him that I’m sorry that it got bent out of shape. I don’t think I did anything wrong… and yet it bugs me.”
- The Schism: Maher concluded that the rift is a symptom of a larger “schism” between “liberals and the woke,” a divide he believes is increasingly permanent.
As of today, Jimmy Kimmel has not publicly responded to Maher’s comments on his own show.