Bill Maher Said the N-Word on TV and Twitter Responded

"Why did the audience think it was okay to laugh?"

Amy Mackelden's avatar
By
published
in News
Bill Maher said the N-Word
(Image credit: Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank)

On an episode of his show Real Time With Bill Maher on Friday, the host used a serious expletive on air, which has shocked audiences everywhere. While interviewing Nebraska senator Ben Sasse, Maher used the N-word as part of a joke. Stunned, Sasse didn't respond in the way he wanted to, and has since posted his real feelings about the incident on Twitter.

But it isn't just Sasse tweeting about the inappropriate and offensive line, that the show's audience all appeared to laugh at. Black Lives Matter activist Deray Mckesson posted several tweets questioning the host's behavior.

Several viewers are calling for Maher's show to be suspended altogether.

And members of the live audience have even tweeted, questioning why Maher would think it was appropriate to use the word on TV.

HBO, which aired the show, has called Maher's actions, "inexcusable and tasteless", although it's unclear if any further disciplinary action is being taken. But, thanks to the internet, audiences everywhere are making it clear that Maher's language was unacceptable and won't be tolerated.

Follow Marie Claire on Facebook for the latest celeb news, beauty tips, fascinating reads, livestream video, and more.

Amy Mackelden
Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.