Party Snub Appears to Cost Agency Bill Maher as a Client

The same week CAA wrapped up negotiations on a two-year extension for Bill Maher's HBO show Real Time, the host severed ties with his longtime talent agency. The cause was a snub, per the Hollywood Reporter: Maher did not receive an invitation to the private Oscars party at the agency CEO's home last weekend. Bryan Lourd did invite a host of stars, some of them clients, including Margot Robbie, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, JJ Abrams, and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Maher did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the firing. He had sounded pleased by Creative Artists Agency's work last week in a statement about the Real Time extension till 2026, per Variety. "Two more years in the dream job of a lifetime, on the network so many dream of being on—I think that's what we call a no-brainer," he said. The agency had represented Maher for more than two decades, per the Daily Beast. (More Bill Maher stories.)