Bill Maher drew groans from his own studio audience on "Real Time" after making a joke about Ariana Grande's weight during his opening monologue. The comedian used a segment about newly released UFO files to compare a "stick-like figure with large eyes" to an Ariana Grande video, before adding that the joke "will make her eat something" — a remark the crowd did not receive well, in contrast to the laughter that greeted his earlier gag.

The Friday broadcast comment is not an isolated incident, as Maher has previously courted controversy for weight-related jokes, including 2019 remarks on the show defending "fat shaming" as something that "needs to make a comeback." The timing is notable given Grande has faced sustained online scrutiny over her body and health in the past year, and recently announced she will "step back from visibility" once her Eternal Sunshine Tour concludes in September, citing "endless, ongoing public scrutiny." Grande has said the decision was a long-planned, considered choice rather than a reaction to recent commentary.