politics
Bill Maher Defends Inviting Louis C.K. to His Mark Twain Prize Ceremony
The comedian defended the invitation on NPR’s Newsmakers podcast. He also cited recent interviews with Kevin Spacey and Woody Allen.
Jul 18, 4:21 PM·1m read1 source
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Bill Maher invited Louis C.K. to his Mark Twain Prize ceremony and defended the decision on NPR’s “Newsmakers” podcast. Maher said anyone still upset over the matter lacks a sense of appropriate punishment.
“Like we do it in the law. Not everything is a hanging offense. If you’re in show business jail for 10 years, maybe that’s enough,” he stated. The host pointed to his interviews with Kevin Spacey and Woody Allen as examples of recognizing when legal processes have concluded.
He hosted Spacey on the “Club Random” podcast on June 29 and interviewed Allen in a separate sit-down last year. Louis C.K. admitted to sexual misconduct allegations in a 2017 New York Times article after several female comedians accused him of exposing himself and masturbating in front of them or over the phone without consent.
No criminal charges resulted. Kevin Spacey was acquitted of all sexual assault charges in a U.K. trial in July 2023 after pleading not guilty. Separate U.S. cases ended with a dropped criminal charge and a dismissed civil lawsuit.
Woody Allen has faced decades-old sexual abuse allegations that he has denied. Police investigations did not lead to criminal charges. Maher said the court of public opinion often disregards exonerations and police findings.
“Either the law means something or it doesn’t,” he added. The Mark Twain Prize ceremony is scheduled to stream on Netflix on July 21.
