On July 21, when Bill Maher interviewed Billy Joel, the singer said that when he first sang, “Only the Good Die Young”—which had a snappy line about Catholic girls, he got some blowback. Maher responded, “I mean, I guess it—look I’ve had many letters from William Donohue, the head of the Catholic League. He literally challenged me to a fight. Really? Like two 60-something year-old men in the parking lot with our short sleeves rolled up. Really? But that’s how the Catholic Church feels about me.”
The gist of what he said is right, but not the particulars. Donohue never wrote to him, but a number of years ago he did joke with Megan Kelly that he would like to put on the Everlast [boxing gloves] and meet Maher in Madison Square Garden.
Maher never got over it. He complained to Larry King about Bill’s invitation but Larry simply said, “Bill takes his religion very seriously.”
Donohue advised Maher to bring a stool.
