Howie Mandel Apologizes for Uncomfortable Billy Corgan and Bill Burr Stunt That Upset the Comedian

Howie Mandel is apologizing after he initiated an awkward moment between Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan and comedian Bill Burr.

On the Jan. 21 episode of Mandel's podcast, Howie Mandel Does Stuff, Mandel surprised Burr with an appearance from Corgan. The host did so after Corgan previously mused that Burr might be one of his lost siblings from his father.

"About 10 years ago, one of my brothers was having a birthday party, and my stepmother was there, who was obviously married to my father. And my stepmother said to me, 'Do you know who Bill Burr is? Now at that point, I had never heard of Bill Burr; I didn't know who he was. I didn't know he was a comedian or anything. He could have been the guy down the street," Corgan told Mandel in November 2024.

"She said, 'Well, he's this comedian.' And I think I even somehow called up a picture on the phone, and I kind of noticed right away, 'Gee, he kind of looks like my father.' Bill Burr looks more like my father than Bill Burr looks like me or I look like Bill Burr. So I said to my mother, 'Why are you asking me this?'" he added.

"She goes, 'I think it might be one of your father's illegitimate children. Bill Burr might be one of the children that your father sired in his days being a traveling musician," Corgan shared.

Burr addressed all the talk during the Jan. 21 episode of the podcast, when he became visibly upset that Mandel ambushed him with Corgan. Burr asked if the segment could be edited out and called Mandel "an a**hole."

"Did you ever think the fact that I never told that story, that maybe you shouldn't?" Burr said on the episode. "It's not that I don't like [Corgan], it reminds me of all of that s--t."

As for Corgan, he said he thought Burr would be cool with his appearance and appeared taken aback that Burr was clearly in shock. Corgan eventually took it all in stride and joked about their very different talents.

"The fact that he said he can't sing, I think, disproves that we're related, 'cause I'm not funny. So... it goes both ways," he said.

Now, Mandel has apologized for orchestrating the surprise.

"I want to apologize. I feel horrible, and I'm sorry, Bill. I'm sorry, Billy. I only tried to do something good," Mandel said on the Feb. 4 episode of his podcast.

"I legitimately thought I was doing something nice, I swear to you. I thought it was funny," the comedian added.

After the awkward interview, Mandel said Burr ghosted him.

"I texted him and said, 'Good episode.' Didn't answer. I said, 'Is there anything I can do to further this this, to follow up'? No answer," he shared.

"The truth of the matter is, if he feels bad, I feel bad," Mandel continued.

"After the episode aired, Burr had gone on to slam Mandel for the stunt. "He could've said something and he just brings up all that weirdness," he told Rich Eisen, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Burr shared that he has no issues with Corgan, only Mandel.

"Billy's fine. That's the first time I ever met him and it was fine or whatever, but I did not appreciate what Howie did. Not at all," Burr shared.

Despite him not appreciate the situation, Burr shared that he does not hate Mandel, just that Mandel is a "strange man."

"He's Howie, so he's sorta hard to hate. How do you hate a germaphobe? He's like, not threatening. He just walks with his arms in so he doesn't rub against curtains that he owns... He's a strange man," Burr said.

--Originally appeared on 'Music Times.'

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