JOHN Cleese has hit back at former co-star Eric Idle amid the Monty Python money row.
Idle, 80, this week accused Cleese of being a bully and partly blamed him for their finances being a “disaster”.
Cleese, who is bringing back Fawlty Towers at 84, posted on Twitter/X: “We always loathed and despised each other, but it’s only recently that the truth has begun to emerge.”
He later backtracked, saying his comments were a joke aimed at all members of Monty Python.
Cleese also pushed back at Idle’s claims that he is still having to work because of the mishandling of the troupe’s finances by Holly Gilliam, daughter of Terry.
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Idle claimed Cleese “fired” former manager Jim Beach, who was replaced by Holly. But Beach quit due to ill health.
Cleese wrote: “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.
“(Fellow Python) Michael Palin has asked me to make it clear that he shares this opinion.
“Terry Gilliam is also in agreement with this.”
Last week Idle, who co-wrote hit Monty Python musical Spamalot, lamented on how their finances had dwindled.
That is despite their 1970s heyday, several hit movies, and a 2014 arena show which earned them £2million each.
Idle said: “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.
“I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded. Python is a disaster.
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“Spamalot made money 20 years ago. I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age.”
He also said the comedy troupe were never “brothers” just colleagues and that he had not seen Cleese in seven years, claiming he had always bullied Python Terry Jones, who died in 2020 aged 77.
He added: “I always felt ashamed we did nothing.” Pushed on whether the term “bully” was fair, he replied: “Totally, still is.”
