Bill Maher said he will not be releasing his two-hour interview with Kanye West due to the infamous rapper’s antisemitism. In a Feb. 5 episode of “TMZ Investigates,” Maher explained how he thought West’s appearance on his “Club Random” podcast “was going to be a learning moment.”
“We were here for two hours. By the way, we had an amazing, fun time,” Maher added. “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.”
Elsewhere in his interview, Maher shared his thoughts on why West’s influence is so problematic, especially for the younger generation: “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. 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.”
Maher also agreed with TMZ founder Harvey Levin, who suggested that West’s brash remarks are giving other people permission to say the same: “Yes, exactly,” Maher said. “That’s why I wouldn’t air that episode, because I’m not going to contribute to this.”
West’s antisemitic comments have run rampant across social media, notably on X/Twitter where he once said he would go “death con 3 on Jewish people.” In his recent song “Vultures,” West rapped, “How I’m antisemitic? I just f**ked a Jewish b**ch.” In December 2023, West issued a Hebrew-written apology to the Jewish community.
