Bill Maher stated that Ben Affleck has consistently refused to return to Maher's talk show "Real Time" following a contentious debate about Islam in 2014. Maher recounted on his podcast, "Club Random," that the actor has turned down invitations to appear on the show for over a decade due to their clash.
During the 2014 episode, Affleck and Maher engaged in a heated discussion concerning the religion, during which Maher drew a comparison between Islam and the Mafia. The debate also involved author Sam Harris, who stated that Islam was "the motherlode of bad ideas." Affleck found this assertion and the overall conversation to be "gross" and "racist."
Maher indicated that he continues to invite Affleck annually. "I ask him every year," Maher said on his podcast. "I bought this house from him."
Maher acknowledged that the episode became emotional and garnered significant attention. "More people mention that episode to me than anything," he recalled. "And it wasn’t the best episode we ever had, but it got emotional with a movie star. That’s America."
Maher expressed a belief that there might be common ground on the issue, suggesting that perhaps a private conversation could bridge the gap. He also noted that Affleck may have communicated with Sam Harris after the show. Affleck has not publicly commented on Maher's statements. A representative for Affleck did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The 2014 exchange saw Affleck push back against generalizations about Muslims, stating, "Or how about the more than a billion people who aren't fanatical, who don't punish women, who just want to go to school, have some sandwiches... and don't do any of the things...stereotyping!" Harris countered by arguing that criticisms of Islamic doctrine are often conflated with bigotry towards Muslims as people, which he deemed "intellectually ridiculous."