Al Franken Cancels Bill Maher Appearance Over N-Word Furor
Image by Getty Images
(JTA) — Sen. Al Franken cancelled his upcoming appearance on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” to protest the host’s recent on-air use of a racial slur.
The cancellation was first reported on Monday by the Huffington Post.
In an interview Friday with Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., the lawmaker invited Maher to join in for “work in the fields.” Maher demurred, saying that he was a “house n***|*r.”
Maher later apologized for the remark. HBO said it would not fire Maher over the comment.
“Senator Franken believes that what Bill Maher said was inappropriate and offensive, which is why he made the decision not to appear on the next episode of ‘Real Time,’” Franken’s spokesperson said in statement emailed to HuffPo. “He was glad to see Bill, who the Senator considers to be a good friend, apologize and express sincere regret for his comment.”
No other guests scheduled for the next show have announced that they would pull out. Symone Sanders, an activist and former national press secretary for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, confirmed to the Huffington Post that she would appear. Other scheduled guests include Ice Cube, Former Rep. David Jolly (R-Fla.) and journalist David Gregory.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
