By Variety | Created at 2026-08-08 20:21:05 | Updated at 2026-08-08 21:05:00
3 hours ago
Bill Maher made a joke about Ariana Grande’s weight during Friday’s episode of “Real Time,” and drew mixed reactions from his live audience.
“I hope the aliens are here, I do. I hope they’re here and watching us and they’re going to save us,” Maher said during his opening monologue. “And, by the way, the administration this week, just a few days ago, maybe yesterday, unleashed a new trove of UFO files. Interesting things in there. Triangular craft, weird lights over an army base, a stick-like figure with large eyes. Oh, that was just an Ariana Grande video.”
That joke landed, receiving laughs and applause from the crowd. However, the follow-up was met with gone-too-far groans: “Please, we kid. We kid. Maybe that joke will make her eat something.”
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, 2026On Aug. 2, a rep for Grande announced that the multihyphenate is taking a “step back from visibility” after her Eternal Sunshine tour. The rep cited “ongoing public scrutiny as one of the reasons for the break.
“Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour,” Grande’s rep said. “She looks forward to finishing the 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. This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”
During a performance at Chicago’s United Center on Monday night, the “Wicked” star further explained her motivations for stepping out of the spotlight.
“Sometimes when a story comes out that’s not directly from me, things can get a little blown out of proportion. So I just wanted to speak to my fans directly tonight because I love you so much. The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing,” Grande told the crowd. “It is something that I had decided to plan that I had quietly made a long time ago and it’s a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place.”
