Sykes said Maher told her that people were sending him “a lot of texts” saying her joke about him was “stupid.”

Wanda Sykes says Bill Maher confronted her over Golden Globes joke that he ‘didn’t care’ for

Sykes said Maher told her that people were sending him "a lot of texts" saying her joke about him was "stupid."

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Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes RuPaul’s Drag Race video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

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June 12, 2026 2:02 p.m. ET

Wanda Sykes and Bill Maher at 2026 Golden Globes in January. Credit:

Rich Polk/2026GG/Penske Media via Getty; Chad Salvador/2026GG/Penske Media via Getty

- Bill Maher wasn't fond of the joke Wanda Sykes' made about him on stage at the 2026 Golden Globes, the comedian said.

- In an interview posted Thursday, Sykes said Maher confronted her after the ceremony, calling the bit "stupid."

- "We need less of this. You’re epitomizing the joke. Less of this," Sykes said she replied.

Just as his reaction shot in the room suggested, Bill Maher apparently wasn't thrilled with the joke Wanda Sykes made at his expense on stage during the 2026 Golden Globes.

Speaking about the aftermath of her well-received (for the most part) mini-set while presenting at the Globes in January, Sykes told *Vulture*'s *Good One* podcast on Thursday that Maher confronted her over the material after the ceremony.

"He stopped me out in the parking lot. Not parking lot, where we were waiting for our cars. He was like, ‘What was that about?'" Sykes recalled of her conversation with Maher in response to her joke: "Bill Maher, you give us so much. But, I would love a little less. Just try less!" Sykes had said on stage.

"It's a joke, Bill," Sykes said she told Maher. She said he replied by telling her that "it wasn’t even a joke" to him.

"I heard laughter, it was clearly a joke," Sykes said. "I said, 'See, you’re doing exactly what we said in the joke. We need less of this. You’re epitomizing the joke. Less of this,'" Sykes remembered. "He didn’t care for it."

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Maher then reportedly told Sykes that people had been texting him about the quip, and that, as she paraphrased, they called it a "stupid joke" in their correspondence with him.

"When he said 'stupid,' I was like, now you’re gonna get it," Sykes said. "I was like, 'I've gotten a lot of texts telling me how great it was and how they don’t like you and it was really funny.' I said, 'I guess, you know, that’s the problem. You're watching Fox News, and I'm over here on MSNBC, see?'"

Sykes then remembered Maher asking her to be a guest on his podcast, to which she replied, "Absolutely not."

* *has reached out to Maher's representatives for comment.

Wanda Sykes at the 2026 Golden Globes.

Monica Schipper/Getty

Sykes was at the Golden Globes presenting the Best Stand-Up Comedy on Television award, with the comedian taking a playful jab at each of the category's nominees.

When it was revealed that former Globes host Ricky Gervais had won, Sykes referenced past allegations of transphobia against the comedian.

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"Ricky Gervais, I love you for not being here," Sykes said at the time. "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." Sykes ended up doing just that upon accepting the award on behalf of the absent entertainer.

Listen to Sykes recount Maher confronting her in the video above.

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