Comedian Wanda Sykes says that Bill Maher confronted her after a joke she made during the Golden Globes ceremony in January. Sykes, who appeared as a presenter at the awards show, made remarks from the stage that included a line tied to a “queer Black woman” performing stand-up, alongside comments about “mediocre white guys.” According to multiple reports, Sykes says Maher approached her afterward and expressed that he did not take the comment well. Sykes describes Maher as telling her effectively that he wanted less of that kind of material. She also characterizes the exchange as a confrontation rather than a backstage misunderstanding. In her recounting, Sykes says she responded onstage and in public comments with the view that the moment was intended as a joke. The reports also state that Sykes describes Maher as not laughing when the cameras were off, suggesting a difference between his public and private reactions.