US talk show host Bill Maher is facing a backlash after making a joke about Dolly Parton following her death this week at the age of 80. During his opening monologue on his Real Time show on Friday, the comedian and political satirist seemed miffed that Parton's passing was gaining more attention than the Iran war and trade disputes between America and Canada.
Maher's monologue draws criticism
Referencing tributes to the much-loved singer, Maher told the audience: "All this was going on and all America could really talk about this week was how sad it is we lost Dolly Parton."
The 70-year-old went on to say: "Everybody around the country, even around the world - London, they're doing things, the Santa Monica Ferris wheel is lit up with hearts, the Empire State Building was put up in pink." He joked: "The Sphere in Las Vegas added a nipple."
But the comments did not go down well with fans who rushed to give Maher a piece of their mind on social media. Many accused Maher of being disrespectful, while some even called for him to be cancelled.
Fans react on social media
One fan wrote on X: "Mocking our grief over losing Dolly Parton is just more proof that Trumpism [Bill Maher] is a soulless ghoul who wants his own Maher-a-Lago." Another posted: "He [Maher] just didn't seem to get the fact that in a divided America, we can at least all agree that Dolly was a national treasure. And despite her humble origin, unlike him, she had class."
A third commented: "That's because @billmaher has never made anyone FEEL a damned thing with his words, voice or personality. @DollyParton on the other hand..."
"Somebody is upset at the realisation that he will not be remembered nearly as reverently nor widely when his time comes," a fourth chimed in. "If I was a guest for that episode, I would have walked off," a fifth fumed. "Whoever's still watching him needs to stop so HBO will cancel him," said a sixth.
While another added: "The world has been on fire for a while, Bill. We've been talking about it. That's why you have a TV Show. If the world was awesome, Real Time With Bill Maher would be about quiche recipes and which puppy is cuter." The Mirror has reached out to reps of Maher for comment on this story.
Parton's death and funeral arrangements
The world was shocked when it was announced on Tuesday that Parton had died after a brief and secret battle with cancer. Announcing the sad news in a video on Instagram, her nephew Bryan Seaver said: "After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones."
He said she was now "in the arms of Jesus" and would be reunited with her husband of 60 years Carl Dean, who passed away in 2025 at the age of 82 and added: "Surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens."
Around a dozen of the singer's relatives were at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville on Friday morning. The star is to be laid to rest beside her beloved husband Carl as the first images of their heartbreaking tomb have emerged online.
Parton had made her wishes for after her death clear, opting against the kind of huge public send-off that could easily have accompanied the passing of one of America's most celebrated performers. Instead, her family previously announced that the star wanted an intimate farewell attended only by those closest to her. They said: "At Dolly's request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family."
