Chance the Rapper has joined scores of people who have called on HBO to cancel Bill Maher‘s show for uttering a racial slur.
The comedian and host had said the N-word during an interview with a Republican senator on Real Time With Bill Maher Friday and immediately then told the audience it was a joke. His remarks spurred him to trend on Twitter and many called for HBO to fire him.
“Please @HBO Do Not Air Another Episode Of Real Time With Bill Maher,” Chance the Rapper wrote Saturday in a tweet that has been retweeted more than 6,500 times.
Maher, who also hosted the late-night Comedy Central talk show Politically Incorrect in the ’90s and early ’00s, has not responded to the backlash over his comment.
HBO said in a statement that the host’s remark “was completely inexcusable and tasteless.”
“We are removing his deeply offensive comment from any subsequent airings of the show,” the premium cable network added.
Some people have defended Maher.
“Just saw @billmaher ‘racist joke’ and I have to say…f–k everybody who’s pissed,” tweeted fellow comic and former Titus star Christopher Titus. “Comedians save us, jokes. politicians kill us. Wars, laws.”
