Actor Tim Allen recently criticized DEI constraints on television shows, saying sitcoms need to be funny to succeed.

The 72-year-old “Home Improvement” alum made the comments during an appearance on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast on Monday. 

Allen told Maher he didn’t believe DEI policies should have any bearing on the creative process. 

“My wife says, ‘Why do you keep saying that?’ And I said, ‘Somebody told me I was like the Tom Brady of sitcoms.’ When they asked me to do a third [show], I said, ‘I thought they were kidding,’” the comedian told Maher. “I don’t know whether my generation… because all the people that I know that I would make it with are either dead or not the right gender, you know, they’re all light-skinned European older men. And that doesn’t fit the DEI thing that everybody wanted. They wanted, you know, a potpourri of —”

Maher jumped in, saying one solution was to have “DEI in the cast.”

“I didn’t want to get into that. I didn’t want to patronize people. If you’re going to do a sitcom, it’s just got to be funny. You got to have some drama,” Allen went on.

The podcast host agreed, saying diversity wasn’t the “only virtue.”

“Not everything in America has to look like Angelina Jolie’s Christmas card, you know, sometimes, and it’s always OK in reverse. It’s like if there’s something where it’s just an all-black cast — and good, I’m all for it. I’m not complaining about it,” Maher continued.

The host went on to question CBS’s 2020 goal of increasing BIPOC representation in its writers’ rooms. 

“I thought, what if the show they’re writing is about a polka band in a ski town?” Maher said.

“I love people of color, and I’m so glad that things are better than they used to be for people of color, but you know, it shouldn’t intrude on the creative process to the degree it has in this town,” Maher said. “It has intruded on the creative process. And by the way, lots of people of color agree with that because they want the creative process to be pure, too.”

Allen currently stars in the CBS sitcom “Shifting Gears,” which follows a father trying to reconnect with his adult daughter. Besides appearing on the well-known ‘90s series “Home Improvement,” he also starred in the popular ABC sitcom “Last Man Standing” (2011-2017). 

Hilton said Tuesday that it has cut ties with a Minnesota hotel that was part of its franchise network after the property canceled reservations for federal immigration agents deployed to the Minneapolis area.

The issue emerged in emails posted on X Monday by the Department of Homeland Security, which claimed that Hilton Hotels “launched a coordinated campaign in Minneapolis to refuse service” to agency personnel. The property was a Hampton Inn, which is part of the Hilton global portfolio. Most individual Hampton Inn properties are independently owned and operated by franchisees.

One email DHS posted appeared to show a hotel employee stating that they had cancelled a reservation after discovering “information about immigration work connected with your name.”

Another email DHS shared appeared to show the property doubling down.

“This email is in regards to the reservation you made with the Hampton Inn Lakeville property,” it read. “We have noticed an influx of GOV reservations made today that have been for DHS, and we are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property. If you are with DHS or immigration, let us know as we will have to cancel your reservation.”

“Please pass this info to your coworkers that we are not allowing any immigration agents to house on our property,” the email concluded.

DHS called the move “unacceptable” and questioned “why” Hilton was “siding with murderers and rapists to deliberately undermine and impede DHS law enforcement from their mission to enforce our nation’s immigration laws?”

The post garnered more than 16 million views on X, prompting calls for a boycott of Hilton.

Hilton initially responded, saying that it launched an investigation into “this matter,” adding that the Minnesota “hotel is independently owned and operated, and the actions referenced are not reflective of Hilton values.”

“Hilton works with governments, law enforcement and community leaders around the world to ensure our properties are open and inviting to everyone,” the hotel added.

But after a video posted by independent creator Nick Sortor appeared to show a hotel front desk employee refusing a reservation he said was for DHS employees, the hotel chain said it is removing the hotel from its franchise.

“The independent hotel owner had assured us that they had fixed this problem and published a message confirming this. A recent video clearly raises concerns that they are not meeting our standards and values,” Hilton said in a statement posted to X Tuesday.

“As such, we are taking immediate action to remove this hotel from our systems. Hilton is — and always has been — a welcoming place for all. We are also engaging with all of our franchisees to reinforce the standards we hold them to across our system to help ensure this does not happen again,” the company said.

Statement from Hilton on a recent video pic.twitter.com/W8DWUTWD7f

— Hilton Newsroom (@HiltonNewsroom) January 6, 2026