Bill Maher faces backlash over ‘bitter’ Dolly Parton tribute joke

Fans have been left by comic Bill Maher’s quip about Dolly Parton tributes (Picture: Getty) Bill Maher has been slammed by for giving the ‘lamest Dolly Parton tribute yet’ as fans called him out for his crude humour. Parton died on Tuesday aged 80 after a brief battle with cancer, her rep confirmed, leading to an outpouring of love and praise from around the world for a music icon whose charitable actions and attitude made her such a unifying figure. However, Maher, a controversial comedian and TV host, faced backlash for how he chose to bring up the tributes to Parton during his opening monologue on Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday, which airs on HBO in the US. Acknowledging that the 9 to 5 and Jolene singer’s death gained huge notice, even with the ongoing war in Iran and trade disputes between the US and Canada, Maher said: ‘All this was going on and all America could really talk about this week was how sad it is we lost Dolly Parton. ‘Everybody around the country, even around the world – London, they’re doing things, the Santa Monica Ferris wheel is lit up with hearts, the Empire State Building was put up in pink.’ He then jibed: ‘The Sphere in Las Vegas added a nipple.’ The popular singer, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist died on Tuesday from cancer (Picture: Pictorial/THA/Shutterstock) But many of Parton’s fans failed to see the funny side, accusing Maher of being disrespectful and bitter, with Variety crowning it ‘the lamest’ tribute to Parton so far. ‘Mocking our grief over losing Dolly Parton is just more proof that Trumpsimp [Bill Maher] is a soulless ghoul who wants his own Maher-A-Lago,’ writer Tara Dublin tweeted, referring to Maher’s dinner there with President Donald Trump. ‘The average person doesn’t even know who Bill Maher is, let alone care what he has to say about Dolly Parton. He’s a sad, lonely, little narcissist who can only hope to go viral on a random Saturday morning, because no one would otherwise care about his pov,’ added Casandra, calling Maher ‘a troll’. ‘In a world of a**holes why be the biggest one? Dolly Parton > Bill Maher,’ posted Wheely Brown, while @riotwomenn also posted that he was a ‘pompous ass’. ‘Dolly Parton will live through the ages. Bill Maher will be forgotten three months after his death. He doesn’t like that,’ another user added while @AltonmonteEvile2 predicted: ‘The Dolly Parton “joke” is gonna bite you in the ass, Billy. Buh-bye.’ Maher’s boob-related joke didn’t land well, with him being accused of being a ‘soulless ghoul’ (Picture: Paul Morigi/Getty) ‘I completely understand where he’s coming from. Seeing a person who spent most of her life trying to unite people through music and basic decency and empathy being celebrated and revered all week must be a foreign concept to him,’ suggested critic Brandon Lewis, as Jason Levin argued: ‘Bill Maher trying to get edgy about Dolly Parton is wild. Buddy, you’re not “telling hard truths”, you’re just the guy who looked at a national treasure and said, “How can I make this about my bitterness?”.’ ‘Bill Maher doesn’t grasp the concept of “beloved entertainer”. “But I’m too edgy to be beloved.” George Carlin was edgy. So was Richard Pryor. They were beloved and deeply mourned. You’re just a d**k, Bill,’ wrote Frank Conniff. ‘Only a**holes will be sorry when you’re gone.’ However, fan John-Phillip offered up a differnet take, suggesting Parton ‘would have laughed at the joke’. ‘Dolly didn’t take things like that seriously and knew when a joke was a joke. She made them about herself all the time,’ he argued. Parton’s family have now confirmed the singer was buried on Friday during an intimate service at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville, where her late husband Carl Dean had already been laid to rest when he died aged 82 in March 2025. The husband and wife were together for 59 years, after meeting outside a laundrette on the same day she had moved to Tennessee to pursue her singing career. In a touching Instagram post on Saturday, her niece Lainey shared: ‘I wanted to wait until after my granny was laid to rest yesterday before I tried to put any of this into words.’ She said that her Aunt Dolly ‘never made my dreams feel too big or made me feel like I couldn’t do something. She believed in me before I even knew how to believe in myself’. Parton was remembered by Beyonce, Taylor Swift, the Royal Family and President Trump, who gave her the honour of US flags being flown at half mast for a full week (Picture: Rob Latour/Shutterstock) Lainey also said that, because the singer never had kids of her own, Parton fully took her nieces and nephews under her wing. ‘It still doesn’t feel real that she’s gone. I’m going to miss her voice, her laugh, her hugs, and just knowing she was there. I’m even going to miss those 4am calls, and I’d give anything to see her name pop up on my phone again,’ she added. The Nashville funeral home also paid tribute to Parton with an online obituary remembering her ‘rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see’. ‘Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family,’ the obituary continued, calling her legacy ‘one of love, kindness, and resilience’ – and her career an inspiration to multiple generations. ‘Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact,’ it concluded. 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