Many fans are confused about how John Cleese and Eric Idle of Monty Python feel about each other after Eric took to social media to make some negative comments about his Monty Python cofounders. Eric and John cofounded the British comedy troupe in 1969 with several other cofounders: Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. A person on X asked Eric if he and John are still close, and Eric wrote, "I haven't seen Cleese for seven years."
Many Monty Python fans were sad to see that Eric and John don't seem to have the best relationship. In response to one of the tweets in which someone said they were disappointed to learn this, Eric wrote, "Fifty years can change people."
But it all started with a post on February 9, 2024, from Eric that went viral. On X, Eric wrote about how he doesn't get why people assume that he's rich. The post led to many questions from fans, and by responding to those questions, Eric shared some information that was surprising to some Monty Python fans.
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"I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded. Python is a disaster. Spamalot made money 20 years ago. I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age," Eric wrote on the platform.
While some were surprised to see that Eric's work has not made him wealthy, others acknowledged that creative work is often underpaid.
In response to the tweet, one person wrote: "I honestly can’t tell if this is a bit or if you’re being sincere. I hope it’s a bit and you’re at least financially secure if not wealthy."
Eric replied to this tweet and seemed to blame Terry Gilliam and his daughter, Holly Gilliam, writing, "We own everything we ever made in Python and I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously."
"But I guess if you put a Gilliam child in as your manager you should not be so surprised. One Gilliam is bad enough. Two can take out any company," he continued.
Holly Gilliam runs HDG Projects, which manages Monty Python. John took to X to defend Holly after the posts went viral.
"I have worked with Holly for the last ten years, and I find her very efficient, clear-minded, hard-working, and pleasant to have dealings with," John wrote on X on February 13.
He added that Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam also agree with his opinion about Holly. On the same day, an X user asked John about his relationship with his cofounders because he saw Eric's tweets, which seemed to suggest that the cofounders had a falling out.
"We always loathed and despised each other, but it's only recently that the truth has begun to emerge," John responded. Some perceived the tweet as a joke while others seemed to think John truly meant it.
But of course, John and Eric are comedians. Some who responded to their posts on X couldn't really tell how serious they were being, and John later wrote that he was clearly joking about "loathing and despising" his Monty Python cofounders.
