Bill Maher does not steer away from controversy, especially on his show. We've seen Donald Trump try to cancel 'Real Time' altogether, and in addition, we've seen some serious disputes about Trump - including Jim Jefferies and Piers Morgan getting heated on Maher's show.
In this instance, Bill Maher went on a rant, targeting the likes of John Cena and Tom Cruise. Let's take a look at how it all went down and why fans actually agreed with Maher's take.
What Happened Between Bill Maher, John Cena And Tom Cruise?
Bill Maher is not afraid to attack celebrities. He has taken exception to many of them in the past - recently, he took a shot at Dwayne Johnson and others, for thinking about stepping into politics.
John Cena was another recent target, especially following his apology towards China. Cena made a public video, apologizing to China for referring to Taiwan as a country.
“I made a mistake,” Mr. Cena said in his apology video. “Now I have to say one thing which is very, very, very important: I love and respect China and Chinese people.”
He continued: “I’m very sorry for my mistakes. Sorry. Sorry. I’m really sorry. You have to understand that I love and respect China and Chinese people.”
Where Can You Watch 'Bill Maher: #Adulting'?
'#Adulting' with Bill Maher is a comedy special that is available now on HBO MAX. The special also includes behind the scenes footage and other exclusive content.
Maher wasn't the only one to go after Cena, even John Oliver chimed in. “Every part of that is so weird,” host Oliver said after playing the actor’s apology video. “It’s weird John Cena apologized to China. It’s weird he did it for calling Taiwan a country. And it’s weird to see him do it in pretty decent Mandarin. That’s just too many weird things.”
Oliver was very tame in comparison to Bill Maher. The 'Real Time' host wasn't as kind when speaking about Cena and Tom Cruise.
Bill Maher Lost It On Cruise And Cena For Defending China
Back in February, Bill Maher decided to take shots at celebrities defending China. Among them, was John Cena. Maher was rather harsh when discussing Cena's apology video.
"China accounts for 34% of the global box office. He's a movie star now. Last year he learned he needed to get some re-education."
"When a country can make your big muscly Macho Man action star grovel in their language, you know you're somebody's b****."
Maher also had some choice words for Tom Cruise, who changed his 'Top Gun' jacket, removing the Taiwan logo. Bill was not impressed with the switch, calling out the iconic action star.
"In the original ‘Top Gun,’ Tom Cruise wore a bomber jacket but the flags of several Asian countries that are our allies sewn on the back. Well, the flag for Taiwan has now magically disappeared for the upcoming ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ Well, he used to be a maverick. Now he does whatever China says."
The 'Real Time' rant was viewed by over 2 million fans via YouTube and surprisingly (given Cena and Cruise's fanbases), a lot of the comments agreed with Maher's take.
Who Did The Fans Side With?
Bill Maher has controversial takes - in a lot of instances, he has faced some serious heat from the fans, and even those in the political spectrum. In addition, he isn't the most liked in realm of celebrities, just ask Donald Trump...
Nonetheless, on this matter, fans seem to be siding with Bill and his take on Cena and Cruise. Here's what the fans had to say.
"I don’t agree with Bill Maher on much, but his standpoint on foreign policy and free speech is something I can definitely admire. To all leftists out there (and right wingers to), if you’re charming, open minded, and relaxed, then open discussion would be so much easier."
"The phrase "money talks and s**t walks" perfectly describes what's going on in Hollywood and in Sports."
"Calling out Hollywood, sports and China in one segment? I'm impressed, Bill using his humor and stones in a good 1-2 combo."
"It's weird how it's hitting so hard and the crowd doesn't know how to react sometimes. It's like he makes a good point and they look left and right to see what they should do."
Lots of fans did react, though of course, both John Cena and Tom Cruise did not make any sort of statement reacting to the Maher claims.
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