Bill Maher Strongly Defends Woody Allen, Calls Him “Not a Child Molester”
Bill Maher has once again reignited the intense debate surrounding one of Hollywood’s most polarized figures, offering a staunch defense of director Woody Allen.
During a recent episode of his podcast, the comedian pushed back against the decades-old child s*** abuse allegations made by Allen’s estranged adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow. The conversation took place on Monday, January 19, when Maher hosted fellow comedians David Spade and Dana Carvey on his show.
The topic arose when Carvey expressed his astonishment that Maher had managed to secure the elusive 90-year-old director for an interview the previous year. “You had Woody Allen here. That one blew me away,” Carvey told the host, referencing the episode that aired on September 1, 2025. Maher acknowledged the magnitude of the booking but quickly pivoted to address the controversy that has followed Allen since the early 1990s.
Maher stated his position with absolute certainty, dismissing the claims that have turned Allen into a pariah in the United States. “He’s not a child molester,” the Real Time host claimed to his guests. He admitted that while the interview had its awkward moments, his belief in Allen’s innocence was unwavering.
“And he, well, there are moments where it’s be careful about ‘meeting your idols syndrome.’ But he’s still Woody Allen, and you know, there were things that I didn’t love. But he’s not a child molester,” Maher reiterated. The comedian’s defense extended to criticizing the media narratives that have solidified public opinion against the director.
Maher specifically targeted his own employer, HBO, for their production of the 2021 docuseries Allen v. Farrow. He expressed pride in standing his ground against the network’s programming, which he felt was biased. “I defended him vociferously about that with nothing for me in it, including going against my own network, which put out a documentary that I criticized,” Maher explained.
He argued that the documentary failed to provide a balanced view of the complex family dynamic. “I would criticize it any day because it only presented one side,” he continued, adding that “It was really Mia’s story.” When Spade noted that the prevailing cultural consensus is that “he’s guilty,” Maher immediately shot back, “Well, but he’s not.”
Beyond the legal and moral debates, Maher expressed some artistic disappointment regarding his actual sit-down with the director. He had hoped Allen would display the same wit and candor found in his 2020 memoir, Apropos of Nothing. “The book is amazing…I wanted him to be here and say the things he said in the book, and sometimes he didn’t,” Maher noted, attributing some of the disconnect to Allen’s advanced age.
Listener reaction to Maher’s ongoing support of Allen has been sharply divided. While some fans appreciated the rare access to the filmmaker, others felt the interview served mostly as a vehicle for Maher’s own ego. One listener complained online that it was mostly “Maher shooting his mouth off about himself,” while another noted, “Maher thinks too highly of himself and his own opinions.”
Woody Allen, despite being a four-time Academy Award winner, has seen his career opportunities in North America vanish. The allegations that he molested Dylan Farrow in 1992 were investigated at the time without charges being brought, but the #MeToo movement led to a re-examination of the claims. He has largely turned to European financing for his recent films, including Coup de Chance, which was released to positive reviews abroad.
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