Jackass alum Steve-O had to turn down an opportunity to appear on Bill Maher’s podcast Club Random due to a strange reason. The controversial host of Real Time with Bill Maher couldn’t allegedly give up his habit of smoking pot for his potential interview with Steve-O. The entertainer has been sober for 16 years and placed the condition with the host, who refused to agree to it.
Maher started the Club Random podcast in 2022 and he often smoked pot during his interview with celebrity guests. However, he had respected his guest’s wishes in the past and did not touch the pot during some interviews, like the one with Sheryl Crow.
Steve-O Says Interview With Bill Maher Fell Through As The Host Refused To Respect His Sobriety
Bill Maher made headlines last year when he called Barbie a “Zombie lie” and announced the return of his show amidst the writer’s strike. This time, American entertainer Steve-O’s revelations have put him at the center of controversy once again. During his recent appearance on Wild Ride! podcast, Steve-O shared that his interview with Maher fell through because the latter refused to give up smoking pot during the interview.
Steve-O had been sober for 16 years and revealed that there was nothing that he valued more than his sobriety. When Maher reached out for a podcast interview, the Jackass star asked him to refrain from smoking pot in the episode out of respect for his sobriety. However, Maher refused and shared that it was a deal breaker for him. Steve-O shared with Wild Ride!:
“I am about to be sweet 16. Really, there’s nothing I value more than my sobriety. There’s nothing more that I protect than my recovery. I found it kind of upsetting when the Bill Maher podcast reached out and he smokes pot the whole time while he interviews people. I said I’d happily go on there, but while I’m on, out of respect for my sobriety, could he refrain from smoking pot. He said no and that’s a dealbreaker.”
Steve-O had troubles with the law in the past due to his marijuana use. He was arrested multiple times, including once when he spent time in a Swedish jail (via USA Today). After facing several psychiatric problems in 2008 including an alleged suicide attempt (via The Baltimore Sun), he entered rehab and got himself clean. He later revealed that his brain was “f**ked up from using so much cocaine, ketamine, PCP, nitrous oxide, and all sorts of other drugs.” (via E! News)
Steve-O Was Shocked At Bill Maher’s Refusal
Steve-O didn’t expect Bill Maher to refuse his one demand. He further shared with Wild Ride! that he had previously appeared in interviews where the host smoked marijuana in other episodes but agreed to respect his sobriety and gave it up for one episode. He particularly mentioned Mike Tyson‘s Hotboxin’ podcast as an example. Steve-O shared:
“Mike Tyson’s podcast is called Hotboxin’. Be real! All of these prolific potheads, I’ve been on their shows and it wasn’t so important to them to blow marijuana smoke in my face, but for Bill Maher it was a dealbreaker.”
However, Maher surely could give up the pot for one episode as he had previously refused to smoke pot out of respect for his guests. One X user, @Mel_Ankoly, shared Bill Maher’s podcast episode with Sheryl Crow, where he chose to respect the guest’s sobriety. He shared with Crow in the episode, “That’s when I need a joint…but I’d never light one up in front of you.”
My post about Bill Maher turned out to be a great test of people's character.
By the way, Bill respected Sheryl Crow's sobriety.
"That's when I need a joint…but I'd never light one up in front of you."https://t.co/chjtvdJD4I
— ⚖️THEE Powerful Mel Ankoly 🇺🇦 #ForThePeople (@Mel_Ankoly) March 31, 2024
Bill Maher expanded Club Random from just being a podcast to a new podcast network. His Club Random Studios will now become a platform for podcasts from hosts like Billy Corgan, Fred Durst, Sage Steele, and Kevin Garnett.
