Wanda Sykes cracked a joke about Bill Maher to his face at the 2026 Golden Globes on Sunday (Jan. 11), and he didn’t seem too impressed.
Sykes took to the stage to present the award for Best Performance in Stand-up Comedy on Television, for which Maher was nominated. The category also saw Brett Goldstein, Kevin Hart, Kumail Nanjiani, Sarah Silverman, and Ricky Gervais in the running, and she had jokes for all of them. “There’s some people pissed off that a queer Black woman is up here doing the job of two mediocre white guys,” she joked, “But first I want to give them some love.”
When she got to addressing Maher, she didn’t hold back. “Bill Maher, you give us so much,” she said. “But I would love a little less. Just try less.” The camera focused on Maher’s reaction to the joke, which he didn’t seem to appreciate.
Sykes' joke at the expense of Gervais, who was not in attendance on Sunday, was equally as brutal. “Ricky, I love you for not being here,” she joked. “No, I love you, Ricky, because if you win, I get to accept the award on your behalf—and you’re going to thank God, and the trans community.” Gervais is famously a diehard atheist, and his most recent specials have featured several transphobic jokes.
When Sykes read the winner, she followed through on her promise and accepted the award on behalf of Gervais and had him thank “God and the trans community.”
Maher has frequently drawn ire for his self-righteous and smug demeanor and has landed himself in controversy many times throughout the years. He used the n-word during an episode of Real Time in 2017, for instance, has faced accusations of Islamophobia, came under fire for his adamant support of Israel, and has been an outspoken critic of “woke” culture and DEI initiatives.
Check out some of the reactions to his unimpressed response to Sykes’ joke below.
