Howard Stern says Bill Maher ‘ought to shut his mouth’ after HBO host criticized shock jock’s on-air praise of wife Beth Stern: ‘I think I’m no longer friends with him’

Bill Maher has apparently lost Howard Stern’s friendship.

The political commentator, 67, has found himself in the crosshairs of the King of All Media, 69, after he said he was irritated by the radio icon’s constant stream of praise for his second wife, Beth Stern, 51.

Stern, 69, blasted Maher on Tuesday over comments he made about him Club random podcast Monday, after Maher said he thought Stern was inconsiderate for constantly praising Beth on air because it was an insult to Alison Berns, the Private Parts star’s first wife, with whom he shares three children.

Maher was talking to Julian Lennon, 60, when he remembered a conversation he had with Stern on Real Time in October 2019and said Stern “kind of infuriated him” about his extended bachelorhood in the segment.

“I have to say that men do something… Howard Stern… he says to me, ‘Bill, you’re successful, but you don’t want to settle down?'” Maher said. “And he talks about how much he loves his wife Beth, which he’s been doing on the air for 10 years.”

Maher was chatting with Julian Lennon, 60, on his Club Random podcast on Monday when he brought up the King of All Media

Maher said he found the comments derisive because “We know Howard had this other woman before Beth,” referring to Berns, whom he married in 1978 and divorced as of 1999, finalizing their divorce in 2001. (They are parents to three daughters: Emily Stern, Deborah Stern and Ashley Stern.)

Maher said of Stern, “So he’s trying to give me the impression that I’m the slightly immoral one because I don’t want to settle down and all I can think is, ‘How does this nonsense about the second wife come about, how does that make that ? feel the first woman?”

“Can’t we just talk about the person while the other person can still hear?”

Maher said it was “mean” and “gross”, adding that “stupid celebrities do it all the time”, by bragging about their new marriage after their divorce.

Maher mocked Stern by imitating the behavior, saying, “I didn’t live before her, all I did was act like I felt scared compared to the woman I’m with now – and the first girl said, ‘What ? “‘

Maher said he “didn’t want to start a fight with” Stern after they “finally mended their relationship,” but it appeared he fell short of that goal after Stern responded to the comments on his Sirius XM show on Tuesday.

“I don’t think I’m friends with him anymore,” Stern said of Maher, characterizing his comments as “sexist,” “complicated” and “crazy.”

Stern — who will celebrate his 15th anniversary with Beth next month — said Maher was ignorant of the dynamics of his personal life in his characterization of the situation.

Maher said Stern’s behavior was “mean” and “gross,” adding that “stupid celebrities do it all the time” by bragging about their new marriage after they divorced

Stern renewed his wedding vows to Beth on Ellen in 2019, with The Bachelor’s Colton Underwood officiating the proceedings

Maher said he felt Stern was inconsiderate to continually praise Beth on air, as it was an insult to his first wife Alison Berns; Stern and Berns were photographed in New York in 1993

‘It supposes that he knows something about my first marriage—that the man must of course leave the woman; and the woman must be devastated and pining for her famous husband,” Stern said.

Stern said Maher should “shut his mouth” on the subject, apparently adding, “He’s very concerned about my relationship.”

Stern said, “I mean, I don’t think I get on the air every day and say, I love my wife.

“But I thought it was a pretty positive message, especially to my audience, to say to guys, instead of harassing our women, how about we talk about how much we appreciate them and love them. ‘

Stern said he emailed Maher after hearing the comments Monday, in an attempt to confront him about the sensitive subject.

“He felt very comfortable shooting me,” Stern said. ‘So I did something I’ve never done before: I wrote in an email and said, “Why don’t you call me? Why don’t you tell me what you think about my life and my marriage since you’ve been, you know .” But of course he never wrote me back.’

Stern said he “just wanted to see how brave (Maher) was” and “if he was brave enough to call me and actually get on the phone with me — and zero response.”

Stern said he didn’t care what Maher thought about him, adding, “He can think whatever he wants.”

Stern was critical of Maher’s use of marijuana on his podcast, implying that he did it to be recognized as disrespectful.

Maher said he “didn’t want to start a fight with” Stern after they “finally mended” their relationship, but it appeared he fell short of that goal after Stern responded to the comments during his Sirius XM show Tuesday

Stern said Maher should “shut his mouth” on the subject, apparently adding, “He’s very concerned about my relationship.” Pictured in LA in 2019

“Really dude? I think you’re almost 70 years old, we get it, you smoke weed,” he said. “I think when you’re drunk you get a little sidetracked.”

In the 2019 Real Time segment, Stern told Maher, “The only major difference between us is that I am in a committed, loving relationship with a woman.”

Maher said, “So what? Enjoy,” to which Stern said, “What is it? Have you ever had a serious girlfriend? Because we don’t see you anywhere.’

Maher said he loved being single and commented that married people “don’t live,” to which Stern said, “I’m so happily married.”

Maher postponed the return of his HBO series Real Time earlier this week due to the ongoing writer and actor strikes, after initially deciding to move forward without writers.