Chelsea Handler lashed out at fellow roasters Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchcliffe after Kevin Hart’s Netflix roast, calling their material racist and a disservice to the man they were supposedly there to celebrate.
Handler made her feelings clear during an appearance on Deon Cole. It’s curious to meet you podcast, where he said he disliked jokes that included mob references and a joke about Sheryl Underwood’s late husband, who committed suicide.
Those who watched the roast could already sense that she wasn’t happy – her own time in front of the microphone made that abundantly clear – but she was considerably more direct in the podcast interview.
Handler was clear that her problem was not the jokes directed at her.
He described the insinuations about his age and sex life as vague but largely inconsequential.
What he couldn’t stand, he said, was what he characterized as direct racism disguised as racy comedy.
She only agreed to participate in the roast, she explained, because of her long friendship with Hart, dating back to their eponymous sitcom in the 2000s, and she felt he deserved much better from his fellow performers.
His goal, he said, was to try to “elevate” the show.
She and Cole also found common ground on a broader concern: that a growing number of comedians are testing the limits of basic decency rather than genuine comedic artistry, emboldened by the current cultural climate around anti-woke sentiment.
The roast had already generated controversy before Handler’s comments.
As TMZ George Floyd’s family reportedly expressed fury over a joke Hinchcliffe made about the late civil rights figure, particularly the second roast in which he made such a reference.
Hinchcliffe has not publicly addressed Handler’s criticism.
Gillis, however, had a response ready.
“This is a great moment for Chelsea,” he said. TMZ. “I’m glad she’s taking advantage. Good for her. We’re all rooting for her. Anyway, come see me on July 17 at the Philadelphia football stadium.”
