Ariana Grandeannounced that she would take a “step back from visibility” after her Eternal Sunshine tour. Photos of the slim singer and clips from the latest video for her new single ‘Petal’ set off a flurry of speculation, with fans wondering whether her weight played a role in the decision-making process. Following a wave of body-shaming blasts, Real Time host Bill Maher is one more critic adding his voice to the crowd.
Earlier this week, a representative for Grande told PEOPLE, “She looks forward to finishing her tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny.”
Grande’s rep also added, “This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”
On Friday’s episode of Real Time, comedian Bill Maher joked about the White House’s release of more UFO files in his opening monologue. What does this have to do with the recent rash of scrutiny over the pop singer’s weight?
Maher joked, “By the way, the administration this week, just a few days ago, maybe yesterday, unleashed a new treasure trove of UFO files. Interesting things in there. Triangular craft, weird lights over an army base, a stick-like figure with large eyes. That’s just an Ariana Grande video. We kid. We kid. Maybe that joke will make her eat something, so…maybe it will help.”
Instead of laughter, Maher’s Grande dig was met with audible groans. Not only did his audience seemingly disapprove of this too-far take on the singer, but the jab was met with a sharp backlash on social media.
After posting the clip on X, Maher’s fans (scratch that, critics) clapped back with, “I’m all for a good joke, but if the government is actually releasing new UFO files, that part is way more interesting than the punchline,” and “Has Bill hired some of Johnny Carson’s writers? The monologues are still funny, just not the same kind of funny.”
The White House released a new wave of UFO files. Sightings include a triangular craft in the sky, high-speed orbs near an army base, and a stick-like figure with large eyes, but that was just Ariana Grande. pic.twitter.com/buBBGk2Ze4
— Bill Maher (@billmaher) August 8, 2026Of course, the comments didn’t end there. And the rest made those seem tame. “You’re disgusting for joking on a woman’s body like that,” said one X user. Another wrote, “Imagine going from fat shaming Sarah Huckabee Sanders to thin shaming Ariana Grande. Since when does someone who treats plumpness as *that* contemptible a trait get to absolve themselves of their share of culpability for the continued existence of anorexia?”
As of now, Maher has not commented publicly on his joke or addressed the backlash.
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