Overview
- The dispute dates to a heated Real Time panel in October 2014 when Maher and Sam Harris criticized aspects of Islam and Affleck called portions of the discussion "gross" and "racist".
- Maher told his Club Random podcast on Monday that he has asked Affleck to appear on Real Time every year since then but that the actor has declined every invitation.
- Sam Harris has previously said he and Affleck privately 'buried the hatchet,' while Maher says he has not had a similar private reconciliation with the actor.
- Affleck’s representatives did not respond to requests for comment about Maher’s account, and the exchange remains one of the most-discussed episodes of Maher’s show.
- The episode has endured as a touchstone in debates over free speech and the line between criticizing religious ideas and stereotyping large groups, and Maher’s latest remarks keep public attention on whether the two men will ever reconcile.