Bill Maher to remain on air (H B O) after outrage over racial slur

Growing outrage over Bill Maher's racial slur on live television

Story by ABC News
Written by Joi-Marie McKenzie

Amid outrage that he used a racial slur on the air, HBO said Bill Maher will return to his weekly show Friday night to address the incident.

"Bill Maher's show will air as regularly scheduled Friday night," the cable network said in a statement Monday.

The network added that Maher will address his use of the racial slur during the program.

The comedian used the N-word during a conversation with Ben Sasse in which the Republican Senator invited Maher to "work in the fields with us," referring to his home state of Nebraska.

"Work in the fields? Senator, I'm a house n-----," Maher replied.

Growing outrage over Bill Maher's racial slur on live television
Immediately, many well-known activists took to Twitter to express their disappointment and outrage, including Rev. Al Sharpton.

Sharpton wrote in part that his organization, the National Action Network, "wants to meet w/ HBO asap about the normalizing of the use of the N word. I know and love Bill Maher but this is unacceptable."

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1. Twitter by Al Sharpton:

A. Reverend Al Sharpton ✔ @TheRevAl
NAN wants to meet w/ HBO asap about the normalizing of the use of the N word. I know and love Bill Maher but this is unacceptable. I will
7:13 AM - 3 Jun 2017

B. Reverend Al Sharpton ✔ @TheRevAl
address this Bill Maher issue and our move on HBO at this morning's NAN Saturday Action Rally. My address is live at 10 am/et on Impact TV.

2. Twitter by Chance the Rapper

Chance the Rapper took it a step further. "Please @HBO Do Not Air Another Episode Of Real Time With Bill Maher," he wrote.
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Both Maher and HBO apologized for the incident in statements released Saturday.

HBO said Maher's use of the N-word was "completely inexcusable and tasteless." The network added, "We are removing his deeply offensive comment from any subsequent airings of the show."

In his own statement, Maher said: "Friday nights are always my worst night of sleep because I’m up reflecting on the things I should or shouldn’t have said on my live show. Last night was a particularly long night as I regret the word I used in the banter of a live moment. The word was offensive and I regret saying it and am very sorry."