NEWSBill Maher Scraps 2-Hour Interview With Kanye West Due to Rapper's Antisemitic Outbursts: 'Thought It Was a Learning Moment'
Bill Maher revealed he scrapped a two-hour interview with Kanye West due to the rapper's antisemitic outbursts against Jewish people.
The late-night host, 68, chatted with the disgraced rapper, 46, for his "Club Random" podcast — but then decided to not release it after all.
“I thought it was going to be a learning moment,” Maher said on an episode of TMZ Investigates, about the "Stronger" rapper, titled “Unhinged but Unstoppable.”
“We were here for two hours. By the way, we had an amazing, fun time,” he continued. “He’s a very charming antisemite. And by the way, he’s not the only one in America who feels that way. It’s not like the Jews are universally loved except for Kanye West.”
Maher shared his take on why West has won over fans with his views.
“The problem, I think, is that he appeals mostly – of course he’s a rock star – to young people. They don’t know much and they surely don’t know much about the Middle East or Jews,” Maher said.
“So the combination of Kanye out there — I feel like he was helpful for spreading the fertilizer, and I do mean fertilizer, for this idea that Israel and the Jews are the worst people in the world," he continued.
Bill Maher sat down with Kanye West for his podcast.
TMZ founder Harvey Levin compared West's actions — he previously went on a rant about Jesus Christ, Adolf Hitler on social media — to Hitler, to which Maher agreed with, which is the reason he didn't air the interview.
“Yes, exactly,” Maher said. “That’s why I wouldn’t air that episode, because I’m not going to contribute to this.”
For his part, the Grammy winner claimed that he's since had trouble booking venues for gigs — likely due to his past rants.
On Tuesday, February 6, he took to Instagram to talk about his financial situation, alleging he can't book arenas.
Bill Maher called Kanye West a 'charming antisemite.'
“I have not been allowed to perform in a year,” he wrote in a bizarre follow-up post. “Feels like the Elvis Presley movie.”
- Bill Maher Accuses Kanye West of 'Spreading the Fertilizer for Antisemitism to Grow' With His Problematic Views
- 'I’m Still Crazy': Kanye West Cut Off During Livestream After Rapping About Being an Anti-Semite
- 'I Deeply Regret Any Pain I May Have Caused': Disgraced Rapper Kanye West Apologizes to the Jewish Community for His Numerous Antisemitic Rants
Bill Maher decided to forgo the interview completely.
As OK! previously reported, West threatened to go "death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE" via social media in 2022, later resulting in him being banned from both Twitter — now known as X — and Instagram.
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Bill Maher thought it was 'going to be a learning moment.'
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West later issued a strange apology, claiming that after watching Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street, it made him "like Jewish people again."
"No one should take anger against one or two individuals and transform that into hatred towards millions of innocent people. No Christian can be labeled antisemite knowing Jesus is Jew. Thank you Jonah Hill I love you," the record producer wrote in March 2023.
