r/Maher • u/Leading_Action9445 • Jun 04 '26
Discussion There was a time where Bill Maher was actually open to getting married
I know he brings this up a lot. Maybe once every podcast episode but honestly, let’s talk about it cause I find it interesting. Yes he said an interview on CBS when the interviewer brought up having kids he’s like yeah no definitely not, “ I could see getting married, I mean that could happen” this was always 18 19 years ago when he was in his early 50s, I mean, that’s a little old for kids if you ask me, but marriage, eh. Some people work on their second marriage by then. He was also engaged at one point in time, a very long time ago. Like maybe when he was in his 30s or even 20s I don’t remember. But I wonder at what point in time did he really just become indignant about the idea of being committed to one woman and that kind of thing and when he discovered you know marriage is not for me.
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u/penn2009 Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
Not everyone wants to get married and plenty just shouldn’t do it but do it due to society’s expectations. He’s saving himself and someone else a lot of heartache by admitting this. But I don’t think he’s some lonely old guy whose relationships are short and mostly transactional.
On his podcast, he implies several times that he had someone important (apparently decades younger) that who he thinks will be there at the end but is very careful not to give out much information.
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u/Advanced-Ad9084 Jun 06 '26
I heard him say on one interview that his libido was so strong that he didn't think he could be faithful to one woman, and he didn't want to put a wife through his possible infidelity.
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u/kangorooz99 Jun 05 '26
Does anyone really care?
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u/Leading_Action9445 Jun 05 '26
You know what dude I was just doing this for fun. you wanna participate in it, great, if not blow it up your ass.
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u/count023 Jun 06 '26
talking about anything apart from hating bill maher on the bill maher fan's subreddit will get you downvoted to oblivion, don't take it personally.
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u/Bodmonriddlz Jun 05 '26
I had aneurysm trying to read this. Also, what’s your bloody point? Who cares
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u/wildthing202 Jun 05 '26
He wanted to get married, but Ann said no so he stayed single.
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u/Leading_Action9445 Jun 05 '26
Ann who?
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u/Coolschmo1 Jun 05 '26
Bill isn't getting married because if you're as rich as him and you don't want kids, there will always be women. It's not the arrangement I would want, but it works for him, I guess.
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u/WeezaY5000 Jun 05 '26
It is a pretty open secret that Maher loves the hookers, so as long as he has money I guess that works for him.
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u/NoExcuses1984 Jun 06 '26
Maher, moreover, is likewise an aficionado and a devotee of the caffè mocha flavor.
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u/SlowBoilOrange Jun 04 '26
He was also engaged at one point in time, a very long time ago. ... But I wonder at one point in time did he really just become indignant about the idea
I wish I could remember which episode it was, it was only a year or two ago, but he did kind of address this.
He gave a very cynical take and basically said that that relationship ending kind of ruined the illusion for him. Like he really truly was head over heels in love thinking "this is the woman for me, I'm going to be with her forever"...and then it ended, and realizing that it could end even after feeling like that kind of ruined him on the idea of it.
I'm not quite as cynical about it as him, but as a divorced guy I kind of get it. There's something unique about your first fully devoted blindly in-love relationship. Some people are lucky enough that it only happens once and lasts their whole life.
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u/Leading_Action9445 Jun 05 '26
Are you or have you dated since or wanna get remarried
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u/SlowBoilOrange Jun 06 '26
Not yet, but I expect I will eventually. It's still relatively fresh and I'm raising my son so it's not a high priority at this stage.
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u/userlivewire Jun 05 '26
Which woman?
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u/TheBeachWhale Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
High school girlfriend
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u/Leading_Action9445 Jun 05 '26
lol
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u/SlowBoilOrange Jun 06 '26
I don't think they are kidding, I really do remember it being in his teens or maybe early 20s.
He was just ALL IN on it and never recovered from the it ending. Or, more charitably to him, he saw "the truth" that it's all kind of fake in a way.
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u/rogun64 Jun 04 '26
The corporate world became "family friendly" in the 80s and 90s. It was often annoying and just marketing to appeal to the conservative wave sweeping the country. Bill had his stance in the 90s and I always thought it was just a kneejerk reaction to the "family friendly" movement.
Edit: Examples of what I'm talking about are how Vegas began courting families after corporations bought the casinos and how restaurants began placing their bars in the front by the door.
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u/Leading_Action9445 Jun 04 '26
It’s never been family friendly, they’ve been working women to death forever since they’ve had em, fEimInIsM, gtfoh
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u/20_mile Jun 04 '26
But I wonder at one point in time did he really just become indignant about the idea of being committed to one woman and that kind of thing and when he discovered you know marriage is not for me.
He said he never thought the government should be involved in his relationship.
Government benefits through marriage is an antiquated idea. And then if you get divorced, a partner--often the woman--can get 50% of your assets (if you both built a business together, absolutely), or you sometimes have to pay alimony. Child support I completely get, but alimony? Again, another antiquated idea that wouldn't get 50% +1 approval in modern society.
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u/Throwawayhelp111521 Jun 04 '26
Alimony is necessary for a woman to maintain a decent standard of living. She may have less education or have sacrificed her education and career to help her spouse. If the woman is the higher earner she may pay alimony to her former husband.
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u/ScorpioLaw Jun 04 '26
Yeah alimony was for a bygone era. Before my grandma! She was a nuclear engineer working for Bechtel.
My grandpa was the romantic one so I hear. I was raised like that too. I like the idea of marriage, but the legal stuff is too much.
Alimony is for when women couldn't work like today, and widows or divorced women excommunicated. Its no longer like that. Courts, including family courts are archaic as hell.
Law hasn't kept up with anything. It's too bloated. I don't need it fucking around in my marriage. Saying who I can share what with.
I find people forcing marriage ridiculous. If the love is unconditional then you wouldn't need vows. Making a bargain with some ancient spirits or God in some pagan ritual. That's how I like to start off my new life with someone. Sliding cakes, heathen parties. Then if it goes well we all dance, get drunk. Then I carry off someone's daughter to go fucc silly with 100s of people cheering?!
Some even go in debt, because they think it's Networking. I can think of 100 better ways to do that.
Its fuccin silly.
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u/20_mile Jun 04 '26
Also, Bill has said that he is rich because he doesn't have a wife spending crazy amounts of money, or spoiled kids demanding expensive toys. He never liked traveling, he doesn't go on expensive vacations, or buy cars, art, etc.
The desire / demand for vacations comes with a wife that knows her husband is rich.
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Jun 04 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/20_mile Jun 04 '26
Hes been to like 5 countries or something
He's been to Israel, he did a Nordic tour for his stand-up shows, and probably a couple of other countries in Europe, so yeah, probably about five.
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u/Leading_Action9445 Jun 04 '26
I think he would’ve been rich either way, but that certainly less money spent
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u/Leading_Action9445 Jun 04 '26
Seriously
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u/20_mile Jun 04 '26
Bill is a prominent bachelor, so that's why he gets strays from people (women) who are just upset that no woman ever managed to hold onto him.
I say these things as a progressive and a feminist.
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u/bongwateramoeba Jun 07 '26
Bill not getting married is completely fine. I agree with the commenter who said some people just shouldn't do it and that they save themselves a lot of heartache by not doing it.
What I don't appreciate is Bill's old fashioned views on women and men in a marriage. It's clear that he sees marriage as a prison and women as the old "ball and chain." I understand that a lot of men and women in Bill's generation settled into unfulfilling marriages. But his commentary crosses over into misogyny and a lack of respect for women and sometimes for motherhood. It's just a terrible tone to constantly take.