Bill Maher is coming under fire online for an interview with Armie Hammer.
The comedian sat down with the actor for Sunday's episode of his podcast, Club Random with Bill Maher. The pair discussed cancel culture on the show, including Hammer's break from the spotlight following sexual assault allegations.
The Call Me by Your Name star was dropped by his talent agency, WME, in 2021 after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct, including rape, physical abuse and cannibalism fantasies. Hammer denied any wrongdoing, but his public image took a major hit, with the 37-year-old reportedly losing several roles as a result.
"What happened?" joked Maher on Club Random, feigning ignorance regarding Hammer's recent career struggles.
"You know, it's just one of those things," Hammer replied. "It's going to happen to everybody, just wait."
"That's true," Maher said, before sharing an anecdote about a recent radio in which he was called "uncancellable."
"I said 'I could get myself cancelled in the next 10 minutes on this interview,'" the 68-year-old continued.
When Hammer suggested it is more difficult for Maher to get canceled, due to him reaching listeners through a podcast rather helming big studio projects, Maher agreed.
"I am not just white, male, heterosexual, but old," he said, before moving on to other "canceled" celebrities he's interviewed, such as the former Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo.
Maher also shared his opinion on the media coverage of the allegations against Hammer, as well as his thoughts on House of Hammer, the 2022 HBO docuseries that claimed to "[rip] open the Hammer family's perfect facade."
The Emmy winner described himself as an "old school liberal," hitting out at "keyboard warriors" on social media.
"Maybe it's generational, old school liberals and younger people who think they're liberal or left, you know, they call themselves social justice warriors, they think they're warriors because they're like hitting send on their phone," Maher said.
"They just think they're somehow ridding the world of evil, as if they're facing the firehouses in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963 or something. People really did put themselves on the line and get rid of real evils.
"There are still evils in the world," he told Hammer. "But I don't think you're one of them."
However, some users felt that Maher dominated the conversation with his own opinions and anecdotes, instead of letting Hammer talk.
"Bill gets the interview of the century and talks the entire time," commented YouTube user @CP30YR on a video of the episode.
"Bill Maher interviewing Bill Maher about Arnie Hammer," joked @davidwisenbaker5544.
"Ten minutes in and Armie has said three half sentences," said
@doncozz8536.
"I'd love to hear Bill's guest talk. It would be refreshing," wrote
@choffmann8627," while @peggymcgeary143 commented: "Love you Bill but for f**** sake..let your guests speak!"
However, others praised Maher's interview style and the episode as a whole.
"I think Armie was really honest here," commented @Mere0171.
"My problem was always how one sided it was! Nobody ever let Armie talk, it was just CANCELLED!" said @KendraReacts.
"Love this interview," wrote @dawnglessner7432. "Happy that Arnie Hammer is in a better place. He's still a great actor. Good luck!"
Newsweek has reached out to Bill Maher for comment via email.
In June, Hammer said he was "grateful" for the controversy, even though the "bizarre" allegations blew up his career, as it inspired him to join a 12-step program for substance abuse issues.
"People called me a cannibal, and everyone believed them. They're like, 'Yep, that guy ate people,'" Hammer said during an episode of the Painful Lessons podcast with Tyler Ramsey and Ben Goldhirsh. "I'm actually now at a place where I'm really grateful for it because where I was in my life before all of that stuff happened to me.
"I didn't feel good. I never felt satisfied, I never had enough. I never was in a place where I was happy with myself — where I had self-esteem.
"It's almost like a neutron bomb went off in my life," he continued. "I'm still here, I still have my health, and I'm really grateful for that."
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