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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Donald Trump sued Bill Maher in 2013 after the comedian offered $5 million to a charity of Trump’s choice if Trump could prove Maher’s orangutan joke wrong. Trump said he sent Maher his birth certificate and claimed Maher had broken a promise by not paying. The case was later withdrawn at Trump’s request; the available reports do not show a court ruling that Maher owed the money.
What Bill Maher said on The Tonight Show
During a January 7, 2013 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Maher joked that Trump was the “spawn of his mother having sex with an orangutan.” The punchline played on Trump’s hair color and the spectacle of his public demands that Barack Obama provide evidence of his birthplace.
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Maher then made the joke into a challenge: he offered $5 million for a charity Trump selected if Trump could prove the orangutan claim false. A transcript excerpt reproduced with a copy of the legal complaint records Maher saying, “I’m willing to offer 5 million dollars to Donald Trump…” The excerpt is partial, so it does not establish further wording beyond that sentence. Read the reproduced transcript.
Why Trump sued
Trump said he supplied Maher with a birth certificate and demanded the $5 million, which he said he intended to give to charity. He filed suit in Los Angeles, alleging breach of contract: his position was that Maher had made a promise, Trump had met its condition, and Maher had failed to pay. Contemporary coverage described the claim as a $5 million lawsuit. ABC News reported on the filing.
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- BILL MAHER: BUT I'M NOT WRONG (DVD MOVIE)
The dispute turned on how to treat a deliberately absurd challenge made during a comedy segment. Maher presented the offer as part of a comic exchange; Trump treated it as a pledge with a condition he said he had fulfilled. The lawsuit reflected Trump’s allegation, not a court’s finding that the offer formed an enforceable contract.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to the lawsuit
Roughly eight weeks after filing, Trump requested that the case be dismissed without prejudice. That wording matters: the reports establish that he asked to withdraw the case, but do not establish a court ruling on the merits or a final judicial determination that Maher owed the money. Contemporary coverage said Trump might file an amended complaint; the available reporting does not establish that he did.
Rank #2
- DVD
- Multiple Formats, Closed-captioned, Color
- English (Original Language), English (Unknown)
- 1
- 68
GMA News Online covered the withdrawal request, as did The Chronicle of Philanthropy and E! News.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Superstar comedian/writer Bill Maher, one of the most highly credited comic minds today, is back in an all-new solo HBO comedy special performed live. Maher, known for his sharp wit, offers his candid and hilarious opinions on a wide range of social and political issues including sex, drugs, Iraq, immigration, President Bush, and much more in this can't miss special.Running Time: 60 min. Format
Rank #4
Rank #3
- Collected from one of the most popular segments of the acclaimed HBO Original Series Real Time with Bill Maher, New Rules takes steady aim at well, just about everything in sight, bringing in the hosts incisive wit and hilarious asides. Bill Maher: New Rules brings these cleverly conceived barbs to DVD for the first time, along with some brilliant bonus feature editorials that you're unlikely to f
Allegation versus outcome
- Trump alleged: Maher promised $5 million to charity if Trump disproved the joke, and Trump said he had done so by providing a birth certificate.
- The reported procedural outcome: Trump requested dismissal without prejudice.
- What the reports do not establish: a merits judgment, an award of $5 million, or a judicial finding that Maher had to pay.
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