Chelsea Handler has become one of the other most discussed celebrities during Netflix's live comedy special The Roast of Kevin Hart, after social media users resurfaced her past controversies, including a dinner at Jeffrey Epstein’s home and her high-profile past relationship with 50 Cent.
Handler has appeared as one of the celebrity roasters during the Roast of Kevin Hart, which streamed live on Sunday on Netflix. During her set, Handler denounced the dais as white supremacists, rapists, and pedophiles.
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Epstein dinner comments resurface online
Soon afterwards, users began circulating older interviews and articles discussing Handler’s acknowledgement that she once attended a dinner at Epstein’s New York mansion years before his 2019 arrest on federal sex-trafficking charges.
Several posts referenced Handler’s earlier comments made on Literally! With Rob Lowe and in later interviews, she described attending what she called a “weird” dinner party at Epstein’s home alongside media and celebrity figures, including Prince Andrew, Woody Allen, Soon-Yi Previn and Katie Couric.
In the resurfaced interviews, Handler recalled feeling uncomfortable during the gathering and said she left after an awkward exchange with filmmaker Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn. She described the dinner as “awkward and weird” during her conversation with actor Rob Lowe.
{{/usCountry}}In the resurfaced interviews, Handler recalled feeling uncomfortable during the gathering and said she left after an awkward exchange with filmmaker Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn. She described the dinner as “awkward and weird” during her conversation with actor Rob Lowe.
{{/usCountry}}Shane Gillis, however, took a dig at her by introducing Handler as a “Zionist” who loves “dead babies” and who dined with Jeffrey Epstein. Gillis said, “Chelsea is a Zionist. Not saying that's a good or bad thing. Speaking of dead kids...”
Handler too hit back and said, “Shane, just so you know, Judaism and Zionism are two different things. Just like how Chinatown and Koreatown are two different things, but your favorite slur works in both places.”
“Shane Gillis ain’t jabbing or sending shots he dropping dynamite on them 😭😭😭😭 bro the Epstein Chelsea handler joke,” an X user wrote after watching the segment of The Roast of Kevin Hart.
Another user wrote, “The Roast of Kevin Hart on@netflix is horrid. Everything wrong with America. Chelsea Handler? Good grief. Disgusting.”
Handler has publicly stated multiple times that she attended only one dinner at Epstein’s mansion and denied any association with him. In interviews, she said she did not know Epstein personally and had never visited his private island or flown on his plane.
50 Cent Feud returns to spotlight
Handler and 50 Cent dated briefly around 2010 before later exchanging public insults and jokes across interviews and social media posts.
However, in a recent episode on the "We Might Be Drunk" Podcast, Handler discussed her relationship with the G-Unit alum (as uploaded on YouTube). 50 Cent had been having "a hell of a moment," according to one of the hosts, because he was in the news for reprimanding Combs. Handler concurred and went on to say how happy she was with her ex-partner's recent remarks.