Chelsea Handler

Handler was born in Livingston, New Jersey, the youngest of six children of Rita (née Stoecker), a homemaker, and Seymour Handler, a used-car dealer.{{cite news|url= http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/television/2003986737_webchelsea.html|title=Chelsea Handler and the responsibility of ridiculing Britney|access-date=January 3, 2009|first=Len|last=Righi |date=November 1, 2007|newspaper=The Seattle Times}}Stated on Who Do You Think You Are?, August 6, 2012.{{cite magazine |url= https://www.forbes.com/2010/06/22/chelsea-handler-televison-business-entertainment-celeb-100-10-handler.html|title=Blonde Ambition: Chelsea Handler|magazine=Forbes|date=June 28, 2010 |first=Mary Ellen|last=Egan|access-date=August 27, 2014}} Her American father was Ashkenazi Jewish; her German mother, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1958, was a Mormon.{{cite news|last=Smason|first=Alan|title= Comely comic reveals laughs in 'Horizontal Life'|newspaper=Cleveland Jewish News|date=February 2, 2006|url= http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/archives/article_a7d32057-6319-5121-9255-e9c274c1a773.html|access-date=January 25, 2010}} Commenting on her religious upbringing, Handler said: "I grew up as a Jew and a Mormon... I chose Jewish obviously. Mormonism is so ridiculous. But I related to... that conflict of religion for both parents."{{cite web|work=Yahoo!|title=Chelsea Handler says she chose to be Jewish because 'Mormonism is so ridiculous'|last= Haglage|first=Abby|date=February 11, 2020|access-date=October 28, 2022|url=https://www.yahoo.com/now/makers-chelsea-handler-mormon-211847948.html}} Handler was raised in Reform Judaism, and became a Bat Mitzvah.[http://www.mvgazette.com/article.php?13765 "Rita Handler Was Known for Great Love of Family – 3/17/06 – Vineyard Gazette Online"]. Mvgazette.com (March 17, 2006). Retrieved on January, 27 2012.[http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1635312.php/German-grandmas-Not-so-much-Chelsea-Handler-and-Gwyneth-Paltrow-curse-Mutti "German grandmas? Not so much, Chelsea Handler and Gwyneth Paltrow curse Mutti"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429023543/http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1635312.php/German-grandmas-Not-so-much-Chelsea-Handler-and-Gwyneth-Paltrow-curse-Mutti|date=April 29, 2011}}. Monsters and Critics (April 26, 2011). Retrieved on January, 27 2012.Antonella Gambotto-Burke [http://www.antonellagambotto.com/NonfictionInterviewChelsea.htm "Chelsea Handler"]. Interview from The South China Morning Post. Retrieved on January 27, 2012. As an adult, she discovered that her maternal grandfather served in the German army during World War II, on the TLC series Who Do You Think You Are? in 2013.{{cite news | url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4415422,00.html | title=Chelsea Handler faces Nazi family ties | newspaper=Ynetnews | date=August 10, 2013}}{{cite web | url=https://www.eonline.com/news/446158/chelsea-handler-faces-her-controversial-past-on-who-do-you-think-you-are-watch-now | title=Chelsea Handler Faces Her Family's Nazi Ties on Who do You Think You Are?—Watch Now! | date=August 6, 2013}}

She summered in Martha's Vineyard, where her parents owned a house.{{cite news|last1=Lyons|first1=Ben|title=Chelsea Handler: Here, There and Everywhere|url=https://hamptons-magazine.com/chelsea-handler-is-here-there-and-everywhere|access-date=December 7, 2017|work=Hamptons|date=May 27, 2011|archive-date=December 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208003333/https://hamptons-magazine.com/chelsea-handler-is-here-there-and-everywhere|url-status=dead}} She attended Livingston High School, where she was a reluctant student who objected to the school's "student-teacher-asshole ratio".Friends, Chelsea's Family and Other Victims. [https://books.google.com/books?id=Cl-qyLII3tMC&pg=PT158 Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me], p. 158. Grand Central Publishing, 2011 {{ISBN|9781455504657}}. Accessed August 5, 2019. "In spite of Chelsea's completely adult lifestyle, My parents had persuaded her that she needed to continue with high school. Chelsea half-heartedly agreed, but she was violently opposed to returning to Livingston High School in New Jersey since she felt that the student-teacher-asshole ratio, combined with the demanding structure of actually attending standard classes, was outrageous."

Handler has two sisters and three brothers; her eldest brother, Chet, died when he was 21, in a hiking accident in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. She was nine years old at the time.Antonella Gambotto-Burke {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20111005041701/http://www.antonellagambottoburke.com/FOLIO%20-%202010%20-%2007%20-%2011%20-%20scmp%20-%20interview%20-%20chelsea%20handler%20-%2001.pdf Just keep going]}}. Sight&Sound. July 11, 2010. At age 19, she moved from New Jersey to Los Angeles, where she lived in her aunt's home, in Bel Air,{{cite news|last1=Reilly|first1=Phoebe|title=Chelsea Does Earnest... Sort of |url= http://www.vulture.com/2016/02/chelsea-handler-chelsea-does-c-v-r.html |access-date=December 7, 2017|work=Vulture|date=February 2016}} and pursued acting while working as a waitress to support herself.{{cite episode|series=Chelsea Does...|title= Marriage|airdate=January 23, 2016|network=Netflix}} At 21, Handler decided to pursue stand-up comedy after telling her story about being arrested for driving under the influence to a class of other offenders, who found it funny.{{cite web |title=Chelsea Handler: Biography |url= http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/chelsea-handler/bio/198528 |access-date=September 13, 2010 |work=TV Guide}}

Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1989{{cite web|url= https://vineyardgazette.com/obituaries/2006/03/17/rita-handler-was-known-great-love-family|work=Vineyard Gazette|title=Rita Handler Was Known for Great Love of Family|date=March 16, 2006|access-date = June 17, 2016}} and battled the disease for over 15 years before dying of it in 2006.{{cite web|url= http://www.oprah.com/own-oprahs-next-chapter/The-Great-Losses-in-Chelsea-Handlers-Life-Video|work=The Oprah Winfrey Network|title= The Great Losses in Chelsea Handler's Life|access-date=January 22, 2016}}

Handler was a member of the all-female cast of Oxygen's hidden camera reality television series Girls Behaving Badly,"Cast Biographies". Girls Behaving Badly. Volume 1. Season 1 DVD. Disc 2 Bonus Features. Starlight Video. December 26, 2006. which aired from 2002 to 2005. Other shows on which Handler has appeared include Weekends at the D.L., The Bernie Mac Show, My Wife and Kids, and The Practice. She was a regular commentator on E! and Scarborough Country as well as a correspondent on The Tonight Show. She hosted the first episode of the reality TV show On the Lot but quit before the second episode aired, saying later that she left "because I smelled the disaster happening before it did."{{cite news|url= http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07197/801962-352.stm|title= Summer Press Tour: Posh Beckham, Chelsea Handler|access-date= January 3, 2009|date= July 16, 2007|newspaper= Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}} The show, produced by Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett, was a competition for aspiring filmmakers vying for a chance at stardom. It lasted one season. Handler was replaced by former Robin & Company entertainment anchor Adrianna Costa.

File:Chelsea Handler adjusted.jpg

In April 2006, Handler began hosting The Chelsea Handler Show on E!, which lasted two seasons. In 2007, Handler performed with Comedy Central's Hour Stand-Up Comedy Tour across the United States. Her stand-up comedy has also been televised on VH1's Love Lounge, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, and HBO's broadcast of the Aspen Comedy Festival. She was a guest on Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld and The View, and she co-hosted The View on August 2, 2007, and September 5, 2008. On August 18, 2010, it was announced that Handler would be the host of the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). The announcement was surprising to many, including MTV representatives, who claimed that the final decision was unexpected.{{cite web|url=http://tv.msn.com/the-wrap/handler-hosts-vmas/story/?GT1=28103 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100823051322/http://tv.msn.com/the-wrap/handler-hosts-vmas/story/?GT1=28103 |archive-date=August 23, 2010 |title=Chelsea Handler to host 2010 MTV VMAs – MSN TV News |publisher=Tv.msn.com |date=September 17, 2010 |access-date=September 21, 2010}} This made Handler the second woman in the history of the VMAs to be the sole host of the ceremony, after Roseanne Barr, who hosted in 1994.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1646050/20100819/story.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820101549/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1646050/20100819/story.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 20, 2010 |title=Chelsea Handler To Host The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards|website=MTV |date=August 19, 2010 |access-date=September 21, 2010}} The event took place at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12, 2010.

In July 2007, Handler began starring in her own half-hour late-night comedy series on E! titled Chelsea Lately. The show proved to be a hit by averaging more than a half-million viewers and having clips on YouTube with more than one million views. In a 2008 interview, Handler said, "The worse the guests are, the more pathetic they are, the funnier the show is."{{Cite journal|title=Chelsea Handler, Insult Queen|first=Jacob|last=Bernstein|journal=W|date=December 1, 2008|url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/chelsea-handler|access-date=November 19, 2008}} Chelsea Lately was broadcast weekdays on the E! Network in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Germany, and New Zealand. After more than 1,000 episodes, the final episode of Chelsea Lately aired on August 26, 2014.{{cite press release|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/05/28/chelsea-lately-series-finale-to-air-tuesday-august-26-on-e/268330/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529084708/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/05/28/chelsea-lately-series-finale-to-air-tuesday-august-26-on-e/268330/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 29, 2014|title='Chelsea Lately' Starring Chelsea Handler Officially Cancelled by E!; Series Finale to Air Tuesday, August 26|last=Bibel|first=Sara|work=TV by the Numbers|date=May 28, 2014|access-date=May 28, 2014}}

The show had a spinoff, the mockumentary After Lately, in which the various cast members, writers, crew, guests and even "hangers-on" of Chelsea Lately were shown bickering over trivial matters and competing for airtime on the show. They also were shown seeking personal approval from Handler, who appeared in very few scenes of the program and was always portrayed as having open and utter disdain for everyone beneath her. After Lately debuted on E! on March 6, 2011. Guest stars included Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Jay Leno, Tori Spelling, Jenny McCarthy, Sharon Osbourne, Dave Grohl, Johnny Knoxville, and Jane Fonda.[http://www.eonline.com/on/personalities/bio/chuy.jsp Chuy Bravo – On E! Personalities | E! Online]. De.eonline.com. Retrieved on March 18, 2012.

In 2007, Handler appeared in the Internet-based program In the Motherhood with Leah Remini and Jenny McCarthy (since January 2008). On September 8, 2008, it was announced that ABC would be turning In The Motherhood into a series starring Jessica St. Clair, Megan Mullally, and Cheryl Hines.{{cite web|url=http://inthemotherhood.com/node/185|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208172112/http://inthemotherhood.com/node/185|archive-date=February 8, 2009|title=About the show |website=Inthemotherhood.com |access-date=September 21, 2010}}

Are You There, Chelsea? was an NBC sitcom based on Handler's 2008 best-selling book Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, which aired from January 11 to March 28, 2012. On May 11, 2012, the network canceled it after only one season.{{cite web | url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/05/11/awake-are-you-there-chelsea-best-friends-forever-and-bent-canceled-by-nbc/133644/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513083551/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/05/11/awake-are-you-there-chelsea-best-friends-forever-and-bent-canceled-by-nbc/133644/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 13, 2012 | title='Awake, 'Are You There Chelsea?,' 'Best Friends Forever,' and 'Bent' Canceled by NBC | last=Seidman | first=Robert | date=May 11, 2012 | work=TV by the Numbers | access-date=May 11, 2012}} Laura Prepon played main character Chelsea Newman, a cocktail waitress, while Handler portrayed Chelsea's born-again Christian sister Sloane, a married, conservative, new mom who had little in common with her carefree sister. Dottie Zicklin (of Dharma & Greg) and Julie Larson (of The Drew Carey Show) were creators and executive producers. Handler served as executive producer, along with Tom Werner (of That '70s Show), Mike Clements (of The Life & Times of Tim), and Tom Brunelle (of Chelsea Lately).

In 2016, Handler filmed a documentary series for Netflix titled Chelsea Does, consisting of four episodes on marriage, Silicon Valley, racism, and drugs.{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/chelsea-does-tv-review-858206|title='Chelsea Does': TV Review|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date= January 22, 2016|access-date=January 22, 2016}} In May 2016, she began presenting her new Netflix original comedy talk show Chelsea.{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2016/03/17/chelsea-handler-new-show-on-netflix/81903844/|title=Chelsea Handler gives deets of her new Netflix show in a letter to herself|first=Erin|last=Jensen|work=USA Today}} Handler said she envisioned a show more serious than Chelsea Lately: "I would like a healthy mix of everything that goes on around the world, mixed with interesting stuff in our country. The well-roundedness of 60 Minutes but faster, quicker, cooler." The first season streamed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday each week; season 2 streams every Friday.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/chelsea-handler-netflix-talk-show-title-guests-set-1201732831/|title=Chelsea Handler Announces Title for Netflix Talk Show: 'Chelsea'|first=Elizabeth|last=Wagmeister|work=Variety|date=March 17, 2016}} In October 2017, Handler announced that the show would be concluding after its second season, as she wished to focus on activism.{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/chelsea-handlers-netflix-show-canceled-2-seasons-1050194|title=Chelsea Handler's Netflix Show Canceled After 2 Seasons|first=Lesley|last=Goldberg|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 18, 2017|access-date=November 22, 2017}}

In August 2018, Handler revealed she had begun working on a documentary for Netflix examining the concept of white privilege and the impact it has had on her life's trajectory.{{Cite web|title=Chelsea Handler Says She's Working on a 'Very Funny' Netflix Series About White Privilege|url=https://www.thewrap.com/chelsea-handler-new-netflix-series-white-privilege/|last=Maas|first=Jennifer|date=August 20, 2018|website=The Wrap}} Titled Hello, Privilege. It's Me, Chelsea, it was released in September 2019.{{Cite web|title=Chelsea Handler to release documentary on white privilege: 'Everyone should watch it. Especially you, Mr. President'|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/461101-chelsea-handler-to-release-documentary-on-white-privilege|last=Klar|first=Rebecca|date=September 12, 2019|website=The Hill}}

In May 2020, Handler announced she will produce and star in a stand-up special for WarnerMedia's HBO Max. In it, she will discuss her life experiences regarding family, friendships, and therapy. Her manager, Irving Azoff, and Allison Statter will also join Handler in producing the special.{{Cite web|title=HBO Max Scores Chelsea Handler's First Stand-Up Comedy Special In Six Years|url=https://deadline.com/2020/05/chelsea-handler-hbo-stand-up-1202940651/|last=White|first=Peter|date=May 21, 2020|website=Deadline|access-date=May 21, 2020}}

File:29th Critics Choice Awards Chelsea Handler (cropped).png in 2024]]

In 2010, Handler and Tom Brunelle became producers of Pretty Wild, a reality series centered on the lives of the Neiers sisters. Her production company, Borderline Amazing Productions, and New Wave Entertainment produced the series.{{Cite web|title=E! Going 'Pretty Wild'|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/e-going-pretty-wild-36001|last=Weprin|first=Alex|date=January 15, 2010|website=Broadcasting & Cable}} It was canceled after one season.{{Cite web|title='Pretty Wild' 10 Years Later: How Alexis Neiers Turned Her Life Around (Exclusive)|url=https://www.etonline.com/pretty-wild-10-years-later-how-alexis-neiers-turned-her-life-around-exclusive-137376|last=Kile|first=Meredith B.|date=December 4, 2019|website=Entertainment Tonight}}

Handler has become executive producer of several talk shows aside from her own. In 2012, Handler became executive producer through Borderline Amazing for a weekly half-hour talk show on E! hosted by Whitney Cummings.{{Cite web|title=E! Greenlights a Weekly Whitney Cummings Talk Show|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/whitney-cumings-talk-show-e-weekly-317898|last=Rose|first=Lacey|date=April 29, 2012|website=The Hollywood Reporter}} Titled Love You, Mean It With Whitney Cummings, it debuted in November 2012, but was canceled after four months, in February 2013.{{cite web|title='Love You, Mean It' Canceled After Four Months|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/02/14/love-you-mean-it-canceled/169525/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130217090355/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/02/14/love-you-mean-it-canceled/169525/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 17, 2013|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|date=February 14, 2013|work=TV by the Numbers|access-date=February 15, 2013}} Later that same year, Handler produced Ross Mathews's new talk show on E!, Hello Ross.{{Cite web|title=Ross Mathews' new E! show celebrates pop culture|url=https://www.lubbockonline.com/article/20130918/LIFESTYLE/309189894|last=Rancilio|first=Alicia|date=September 18, 2013|website=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal}} The show was canceled after two seasons, in 2014.{{Cite web|title=TVLine Items: Hello Ross Cancelled, New Boardwalk Trailer and More|url=https://tvline.com/2014/08/12/hello-ross-cancelled-e-ross-mathews/|last=Iannucci|first=Rebecca|date=August 12, 2014|website=TVLine}} In 2015, Handler produced Josh Wolf's The Josh Wolf Show, which debuted in June 2015 on CMT.{{Cite web|title=CMT Hitches Josh Wolf On Latenight's Very Long Tail|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/cmt-josh-wolf-late-night-1201517463/|date=June 11, 2015|website=Variety}}{{Cite web|title='The Josh Wolf Show' Host Opens Up About CMT, Working For Chelsea Handler And The Things He Doesn't Know|url=https://www.ibtimes.com/josh-wolf-show-host-opens-about-cmt-working-chelsea-handler-things-he-doesnt-know-1971092|last=McCarthy|first=Tyler|date=June 17, 2015|website=International Business Times}} The show was canceled in 2016.{{Cite web|title=Comedian Josh Wolf, Split From CMT, Moves on to South Florida|url=https://www.miaminewtimes.com/arts/comedian-josh-wolf-split-from-cmt-moves-on-to-south-florida-8790975|last=Melendez|first=Angel|date=September 22, 2016|website=Miami New Times}}

In October 2017, Handler had partnered with TNT to develop a potential drama series based on Jarrett Kobek's book, I Hate the Internet, as executive producer, together with Studio T, Studio 8's Katherine Pope, Michael Morris, and Kobek. The series will examine the phenomenon of internet discussions and dialogues and what impact it has on one's values and relationships.{{Cite web|title=Chelsea Handler Developing 'I Hate the Internet' as TNT Drama (Exclusive)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/chelsea-handler-developing-i-hate-internet-as-tnt-drama-1047628|last=Goldberg|first=Lesley|date=October 11, 2017|website=The Hollywood Reporter}}

In November 2017, Hulu began developing Unspeakable, a new dramedy based on Meghan Daum's 2014 book, The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects Of Discussion. Handler had optioned the book at Working Title Television in 2014. The show, starring Mary McCormack in the lead role, focuses on a 45-year-old woman trying to find her authentic self while navigating through difficult subjects. Handler will executive produce with Liza Chasin and Andrew Stearn, with collaboration from McCormack and her husband, Michael Morris.{{Cite web|title=Chelsea Handler Producing 'Unspeakable' Dramedy Starring Mary McCormack At Hulu From Cynthia Mort & Working Title|url=https://deadline.com/2017/11/chelsea-handler-producing-unspeakable-dramedy-mary-mccormack-star-hulu-based-on-book-1202201167/|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=November 3, 2017|website=Deadline}}

In March 2018, Handler signed a multi-year first-look deal with NBCUniversal, in which she would develop programming for Universal Television and Universal Television Alternate Studio.{{Cite web|title=Chelsea Handler Inks First-Look Deal With NBCUniversal|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/chelsea-handler-inks-first-look-deal-nbcuniversal-1098368|last=Goldberg|first=Lesley|date=March 29, 2018|website=The Hollywood Reporter}}

In February 2019, Marvel Television and Hulu expanded their partnership for several new animated series based on the comics' off-kilter characters. Of the four planned, Handler would produce Marvel's Tigra & Dazzler Show, together with Jeph Loeb and Erica Rivinoja. The series was planned to be based on the story of two "woke" superhero best friends, Tigra and Dazzler, as they fought for recognition.{{Cite news|title=Marvel Gets Weird With Animated Hulu Shows by Patton Oswalt, Chelsea Handler, and Kevin Smith|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/02/marvel-hulu-series-patton-oswalt-chelsea-handler-howard-the-duck-1202043072/|last=Miller|first=Liz Shannon|date=February 11, 2019|website=IndieWire}} However, in December 2019, Rivinoja and the series' writers departed the project after creative differences, leaving Handler and Loeb remaining on the production team.{{Cite web|title='Tigra & Dazzler' Showrunner & Writers Exit; Production On Marvel-Hulu Animated Comedy On Hold|url=https://deadline.com/2019/12/tigra-dazzler-showrunner-writers-exit-production-on-marvel-hulu-animated-comedy-on-hold-1202800843/|last1=Petski|first1=Denise|last2=Boucher|first2=Geoff|date=December 4, 2019|website=Deadline}} In January 2020, Marvel Studios scrapped the series.{{Cite web|title=Marvel's 'Howard The Duck', 'Tigra & Dazzler' Animated Series Scrapped At Hulu|url=https://deadline.com/2020/01/marvel-howard-the-duck-tigra-dazzler-animated-series-dead-scrapped-not-moving-forward-hulu-1202840962/|last=Andreeva|first=Nelli|date=January 24, 2020|website=Deadline}}

In September 2020, Handler executive produced and sold two comedies she developed at Universal: Blair, sold to HBO Max, follows a judgmental young woman who is at her own rock-bottom, and Wiped Out, sold to Peacock, chronicles a woman's quest to rebuild her life after her existence is erased from the world following a passing black hole.{{Cite web|last=Petski|first=Denise|date=September 3, 2020|title=Chelsea Handler Sells Two Comedies To HBO Max & Peacock|url=https://deadline.com/2020/09/chelsea-handler-sells-two-comedies-hbo-max-peacock-1234570331/ |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904062200/https://deadline.com/2020/09/chelsea-handler-sells-two-comedies-hbo-max-peacock-1234570331/ |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |access-date=September 4, 2020 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}

Handler has written six books that have been #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List. Her first book, My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands (2005), describes the variety of sexual encounters she has experienced throughout her life. Her second book, Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea (2008), a collection of humorous essays, hit the top of The New York Times Nonfiction Best Seller List on May 11, 2008,[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9505EFDE103AF932A25756C0A96E9C8B63?%20It's%20Me,%20Chelsea Best-Sellers Non-Fiction]. New York Times. May 11, 2008. with a print run of more than 350,000.[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-dishbook25-2008jun25,0,4494522.story In search of the next Grisham]. Los Angeles Times. Josh Getlin. June 25, 2008. She went on a nationwide tour to promote her third book, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, which was released on March 9, 2010.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/arts/television/18stel.html|work=The New York Times|title=A New Bigmouth on Late Night|first=Brian|last=Stelter|date=January 18, 2009|access-date=April 28, 2010}} Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang hit Number 1 on The New York Times Nonfiction Hardback Bestseller list for March 21, 2010.{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2010-03-21/hardcover-nonfiction/list.html | title=Hardcover Nonfiction | newspaper=The New York Times| access-date=April 25, 2013}}

On November 15, 2010, it was announced that Handler's publishers gave her her own publishing imprint, Borderline Amazing/A Chelsea Handler Book. She also signed a three-book deal with the imprint, the first of which is called Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me, where her coworkers and family members discuss their experiences with Handler, which was released in May 2011 and also hit the top of the bestseller list.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

Handler has her own columns in Cosmopolitan and Now, a UK celebrity magazine. In May 2009, she was the host of the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco.[http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/20/press 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards – Press Information]. GLAAD. Retrieved on September 20, 2012. In June 2009, she was named as Grand Marshal of the 2009 Los Angeles Pride celebration "for her visible and vocal support of equality". In July 2010, during a tour stop in Salt Lake City, Handler took part in the "I Am Equal" photo documentary project in memory of her mother, Rita, who died from complications of cancer. Along with her photo being added to the documentary and accompanying photo mosaic, she also shared a "Photo Story" with a message that inspires people to take chances in life.{{cite news|last=Peck-Wagner|first=Medeleine|title=Beauty in Diversity|work=Arbus Magazine|date=December 2011|url=http://vpub.boyd-printing.com/publication/?i=92036&p=76|access-date=December 15, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406140223/http://vpub.boyd-printing.com/publication/?i=92036&p=76|archive-date=April 6, 2012|url-status=dead}} In March 2012, she hosted the Human Rights Campaign Gala in Los Angeles.[http://hrcladinner.com "Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles Dinner Gala"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329035856/http://hrcladinner.com/ |date=March 29, 2013 }}. Hrcladinner.com. Retrieved on September 20, 2012.

In early 2014, Handler released her fifth book, Uganda Be Kidding Me, which was number one on The New York Times Best Seller list for two weeks. That same year, in June, Handler did the stand-up show Uganda Be Kidding Me: Live, which was then released on Netflix in October 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.harristheaterchicago.org/events/2013-2014-season/chelsea-handler|title=Uganda Be Kidding Me: Live Tour|access-date=November 5, 2014|publisher=Harris Theater|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104040528/http://www.harristheaterchicago.org/events/2013-2014-season/chelsea-handler|archive-date=January 4, 2015}}{{cite magazine|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/10/10/uganda-be-kidding-me-netflix-react/|title='Uganda Be Kidding me' react: Chelsea Handler nails Netflix debut|access-date=November 5, 2014|date=October 10, 2014|author=Todd, Carolyn|magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}

In April 2019, Handler published her first memoir, Life Will Be the Death of Me, through Penguin Random House, which reached the top spot on The New York Times Bestsellers List. The memoir focuses on her experiences during her year of self-discovery.{{Cite web|title=Chelsea Handler Memoir 'Life Will Be The Death Of Me' To Be Adapted As TV Series By Universal TV|url=https://deadline.com/2019/09/chelsea-handler-memoir-life-will-be-the-death-of-me-optioned-universal-tv-series-development-1202748564/|last1=Andreeva|first1=Nellie|last2=Petski|first2=Denise|date=September 30, 2019|website=Deadline}} She embarked on a comedy tour to promote the memoir.{{Cite web|title=Chelsea Handler opens up about brother's death in raw memoir, 'Life Will Be the Death of Me'|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2019/04/09/chelsea-handler-life-death-me-book-memoir-brother-chet/3394394002/|last=Jensen|first=Erin|date=April 9, 2019|website=USA Today}} Universal TV acquired the rights in September 2019 to adapt the book into a television series.

In 2010, Handler was ranked on the Forbes Celebrity 100 at No. 98. In 2012, Time named Handler one of the 100 most influential people in the world on their annual Time 100 list.Kathy Griffin [https://web.archive.org/web/20120419010530/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2111975_2111976_2112087,00.html "The 100 Most Influential People in the World: Chelsea Handler"]. Time. April 18, 2012.[https://www.forbes.com/2010/06/22/lady-gaga-oprah-winfrey-business-entertainment-celeb-100-10_land.html "Forbes Celebrity 100 List"]. Forbes, June 28, 2010.

In 2009, she posed nude for the May issue of Allure magazine.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090416110546/http://www.allure.com/magazine/2009/05/nudes "The Naked Truth: Five Celebrities Bare It All"]. Allure. Archived on April 15, 2009.

That same year, she appeared on one of the two covers for the December edition of Playboy. Inside the magazine, Handler posed for a non-nude pictorial.

She was also featured on the cover of Shape in April 2010, The Hollywood Reporter in June 2011, on Redbook{{'}}s March 2012 issue, and on the cover of the September 2012 issue of Marie Claire.Kohen, Yael. (August 14, 2012) [http://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity-lifestyle/chelsea-handler-at-work Chelsea Handler Interview – Chelsea Handler at Work]. Marie Claire. Retrieved on September 20, 2012.Fox, Maria [http://www.redbookmag.com/fun-contests/celebrity/chelsea-handler-quotes-50-cent-aniston Chelsea Handler Puts it All Out There]. redbookmag.com.Bruce, Leslie (February 6, 2011). [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chelsea-handlers-split-personality-may-193463 "Chelsea Handler's Split Personality; May Be 'Done With This Show'"]. hollywoodreporter.com.

Handler often receives press coverage for her parody images on Instagram.{{Cite book |last=Symons |first=Alex |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1349461077 |title=Women Comedians in the Digital Age |publisher=Routledge |year=2023 |isbn=978-1-003-26868-0 |edition=1st |location=Abingdon, Oxon |pages=105 |oclc=1349461077}} These include imitating a "thirsty" selfie by Martha Stewart in her swimming pool, sitting on a horse topless like Vladimir Putin, and showing her naked behind like Kim Kardashian's cover for the magazine Paper.{{Cite book |last=Symons |first=Alex |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1349461077 |title=Women Comedians in the Digital Age |publisher=Routledge |year=2023 |isbn=978-1-003-26868-0 |edition=1st |location=Abingdon, Oxon |pages=107 |oclc=1349461077}}

• In March 2009, Handler received the "Ally for Equality Award" from the Human Rights Campaign, recognizing "the outstanding efforts of those who dedicate time, energy, spirit and whole-hearted commitment to better the lives of LGBT people".[http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs082/1101544755245/archive/1102587930213.html "Chelsea Handler named Grand Marshal at LA Pride Parade"]. Archive.constantcontact.com. Retrieved on September 20, 2012.
• In April 2009, Handler won the Bravo A-List Award for "A-List Funny."{{cite web|url=http://tierwriting.com/2010/03/handler-wins-the-2009-bravo-a-list-award/|title=Chelsea Handler wins 2009 A-List Award|access-date=March 3, 2010|date=March 17, 2010|publisher=Bravo|archive-date=March 18, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318032143/http://tierwriting.com/2010/03/handler-wins-the-2009-bravo-a-list-award/|url-status=dead}}
• In June 2009, she was named as grand marshal of the 2009 Los Angeles Pride celebration "for her visible and vocal support of equality".
• In July 2012, Handler received the Comedy Person of the Year Award at Montreal's Just For Laughs comedy festival.Vlessing, Etan (May 9, 2012). [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/just-for-laughs-comedy-festival-chelsea-handler-aziz-ansari-muppets-322603 "Just For Laughs Fest Books Chelsea Handler, Aziz Ansari and The Muppets"]. The Hollywood Reporter.
• In December 2021, Handler won "The Comedy Act of 2021" award at the People's Choice Awards for her "Vaccinated & Horny" Tour.{{Cite web|date=2021-12-08|title=Chelsea Handler Has Some NSFW Plans With Boyfriend Jo Koy After 2021 PCAs Win|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1312445/chelsea-handler-has-some-nsfw-plans-with-boyfriend-jo-koy-after-2021-pcas-win|access-date=2021-12-09|website=E! Online}}

Handler has lived in Bel Air, Los Angeles.{{cite web|title=Chelsea Handler: Home For the Holidays|url=https://variety.com/2010/dirt/real-estalker/chelsea-handler-home-for-the-holidays-1201230890/|author=David, Mark|date=November 17, 2010|work=Variety|access-date=May 22, 2017}}{{Cite web|title=Chelsea Handler's Bel Air Estate Is as Engaging as Its Owner|url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/chelsea-handler-bel-air-estate|last=Foxman|first=Ariel|date=December 16, 2019|website=Architectural Digest}} She was never married and does not have children.{{cite web | url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a42950129/chelsea-handler-childless-woman/ | title=Why is everyone so pressed about Chelsea Handler's 'childless woman' video? | date=February 17, 2023 }}

In 2006, Handler began dating Ted Harbert, who oversaw E!.{{cite magazine|last=Karpel|first=Ari|url=https://ew.com/article/2008/07/11/late-nights-leading-lady/|title=Too hot to Handler|date=July 11, 2008|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|issue=1008|access-date=August 2, 2008|archive-date=October 5, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005080503/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20211732,00.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/magazine/16wwln-domains-t.html|title=Domains: Chelsea Handler|access-date=December 15, 2007|first=Edward|last=Lewine|date=December 16, 2007|newspaper=The New York Times}} On January 25, 2010, Handler confirmed, via her late-night talk show, that she had broken up with Harbert.

Handler briefly dated rapper 50 Cent around 2011.{{cite web|title=50 Cent Posts Risque Photo of Ex Chelsea Handler on Her 41st Birthday |date=February 26, 2016|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/50-cent-posts-dirty-photo-of-ex-chelsea-handler-on-her-41st-birthday-w165406/ |last=Webber |first=Stephanie |website=US Weekly |access-date=December 5, 2020}}

On October 3, 2013, Handler confirmed her breakup with hotelier André Balazs on her talk show Chelsea Lately, after the couple had dated on and off for two years.{{cite web|title=Chelsea Handler Confirms Split with Andre Balazs|url=https://people.com/celebrity/chelsea-handler-confirms-split-with-andre-balazs/ |last=Blumm|first=K.C. |work=People|access-date=November 30, 2018}}

On September 27, 2021, Handler and comedian Jo Koy posted an official Instagram post confirming their relationship.{{cite news |first=Lisa Respers |last=France |date=September 28, 2021|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/28/entertainment/chelsea-handler-jo-koy-official/index.html |title=Chelsea Handler and Jo Koy are Instagram official |publisher=CNN |access-date=October 6, 2021}} They later broke up.{{cite web | url=https://people.com/tv/chelsea-handler-netflix-standup-comedy-special-directed-by-ex-boyfriend-jo-koy/ | title=Chelsea Handler Returns to Netflix with Standup Comedy Special Directed by Her Ex-Boyfriend Jo Koy}}

In 2010, a leaked sex tape of Handler was being offered for sale. After news of it broke, she explained on Chelsea Lately that the tape had been made "as a joke" more than ten years prior, adding, "I put it on an audition tape for a comedy club, because I'm a comedienne, and I've been showing it at birthday parties for fucking years".{{cite news |url=http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2010/10/exclusive-chelsea-handler-sex-tape-sale-stopped |title=Chelsea Handler Sex Tape Sale Stopped |newspaper=Radaronline |date=October 18, 2010 |access-date=June 5, 2012}}

Handler's political activism work has included speaking at universities and collaborating with EMILY's List to gather support for Democratic women supporting abortion rights and helping them to get elected. In a 2011 interview with The New York Times, Handler revealed that she had an abortion at age sixteen, saying she had the procedure "because that's what I should have done. Otherwise I would now have a 20-year-old kid. Anyway, those are things that people shouldn't be dishonest about."{{Cite journal|first=Cathy|last=Horyn|date=May 20, 2011|title=Comedy With a Side of Disgust|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/fashion/comedy-with-a-side-of-disgust.html|journal=The New York Times}} In a 2016 interview with Playboy magazine, Handler revealed that she had a second abortion when she was sixteen in addition to the one she talked about with The New York Times.{{cite web|last1=Kimble|first1=Lindsay|title=Chelsea Handler Reveals She Had 2 Abortions at Age 16 in Playboy Essay|url=http://www.people.com/article/chelsea-handler-abortion-playboy-essay|access-date=June 28, 2016|website=People}}

In 2015, Handler headlined a comedy fundraiser in Israel, benefiting the Tal Center at the Oncology Institute of Sheba Hospital in Tel HaShomer before conducting an interview with former Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem.{{Cite web |last=Caspi |first=David |date=2015-01-27 |title=Chelsea Handler Headlines Israel Fundraiser, Interviews Shimon Peres |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/chelsea-handler-headlines-israel-fundraiser-interviews-shimon-peres-767505/ |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}

Handler was a vocal supporter of 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and was critical of her opponent Donald Trump. She stated in 2016 that a Trump presidency would be "the end of our civilization".{{cite news|date=September 26, 2016|title=Chelsea Handler: A Trump Presidency Would Be 'the End of Our Civilization'|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/09/30/chelsea-handler-i-would-never-have-donald-trump-on-my-show.html|access-date=October 18, 2016|website=The Daily Beast|last1=Wilstein|first1=Matt}} She was criticized for using homophobic insults and slurs against key Trump administration figures on multiple occasions, including implying that Senator Lindsey Graham was a closeted homosexual and referring to Attorney General Jeff Sessions as a "bottom".{{cite web|title=Chelsea Handler criticized over 'homophobic' tweet about Republicans: 'Do better Chelsea. This kind of joke is tired.'|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/chelsea-handler-criticized-homophobic-tweet-republicans-better-chelsea-kind-joke-tired-221914850.html|access-date=February 21, 2019|website=www.yahoo.com|date=October 11, 2018 }}

On October 23, 2020, Handler appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. In reaction to 50 Cent endorsing Trump for re-election in a Twitter post that referenced taxes on high-income earners, she said that she "had to remind him that he was a black person, so he can't vote for Donald Trump, and that he shouldn't be influencing an entire swath of people who may listen to him because he's worried about his own personal pocketbook". After watching the interview, 50 Cent backtracked and said he "never liked" Trump.{{cite web |last1=Rosa |first1=Joanne |title=Chelsea Handler says 50 Cent 'wasn't serious' about supporting Trump |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/chelsea-handler-50-cent-wasnt-supporting-trump/story?id=73881032 |date=October 28, 2020|website=ABC News |access-date=February 17, 2023}}

Following the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023, Handler signed the "No Hostage Left Behind Letter", an open letter to US President Joe Biden demanding the release of all Israelis kidnapped by Hamas during the attack.{{Cite web |last1=Culture |first1=Ryan Smith Senior Pop |last2=Reporter |first2=Entertainment |date=2023-10-24 |title=Full List of celebrities demanding release of all Hamas hostages |url=https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-celebrities-demanding-release-all-hamas-hostages-1837190 |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=Newsweek |language=en}} In December 2023, Handler appeared in a video with Zionist activist and actress Noa Tishby on TikTok in which they criticized American progressives for their criticisms of Israel's actions during the Israel-Hamas war, with Handler adding that Israel represented the protection of "Western democracy and western values."{{Cite web |date=December 30, 2023 |title=Comedian Chelsea Handler faces backlash over pro-Israel TikTok video |url=https://www.newarab.com/news/comedian-chelsea-handler-faces-backlash-over-gaza-comments |website=The New Arab}} As a result of her views on Israel, Pro-Palestine protestors disrupted a comedy show by Handler in Virginia on April 19, 2024, accusing her of being a "genocide supporter." One woman was arrested and several others were removed from the premises.{{Cite web |last=Kaloi |first=Stephanie |date=2024-04-20 |title=Pro-Palestine Protesters Disrupt Chelsea Handler Comedy Show to Protest Her Support for Israel {{!}} Video |url=https://www.thewrap.com/pro-palestine-protesters-interrupt-chelsea-handler-israel/ |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=TheWrap |language=en-US}} In September 2024, Handler signed another letter by 62 artists and performers organized by Jewish advocacy groups calling for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to "pressure the terrorists to release the hostages now", as well as urging the administration to "protect and support" Israel during the war.{{Cite web |last=Wagmeister |first=Elizabeth |date=2024-09-18 |title=Chelsea Handler and Connie Britton among celebrities urging Biden and Harris to bring hostages home to Israel |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/18/entertainment/chelsea-handler-connie-britton-letter-israeli-hostages/index.html |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=CNN |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Strause |first=Jackie |date=2024-09-18 |title=Chelsea Handler, Connie Britton, Andy Cohen Among Artists Urging Biden and Harris to Bring Israeli Hostages Home |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/hollywood-biden-harris-israeli-hostages-letter-1236005688/ |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}

• {{cite book |last=Handler |first=Chelsea |year=2005 |title=My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands |location=New York |publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=978-1-58234-618-2 |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Handler |first=Chelsea |year=2008 |title=Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea |location=New York |publisher=Simon Spotlight Entertainment |isbn=978-1-4169-5412-5 |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Handler |first=Chelsea |year=2010 |title=Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang |location=New York |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |isbn=978-0-446-55244-8 |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Handler |first=Chelsea |year=2011 |title=Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me |location=New York |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |isbn=978-0-446-58471-5 |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last=Handler |first=Chelsea |year=2014 |title=Uganda Be Kidding Me |location=New York |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |isbn=978-1-4555-9973-8 |ref=none}}
• Handler, Chelsea (2019). Life Will Be the Death of Me ...and You Too! New York: Spiegel & Grau. {{ISBN|9780525511779}}
• Handler, Chelsea (2025). I'll Have What She's Having New York: The Dial Press. {{ISBN|9780593596579}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite magazine |author=Franklin, Nancy |date=May 24, 2010 |title=Talking dirty : Chelsea Handler sexes up late night |department=The Critics. On Television |magazine=The New Yorker |volume=86 |issue=14 |pages=68–70 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/05/24/talking-dirty}}

{{Sister project links|d=Q262502|c=category:Chelsea Handler|wikt=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|mw=no|m=no|s=no|species=no|q=Chelsea Handler|n=no}}

• {{official website}}
• {{IMDb name}}

{{Chelsea Handler}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Handler, Chelsea}}

Category:1975 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American actresses

Category:21st-century American Jews

Category:21st-century American comedians

Category:21st-century American memoirists

Category:21st-century American women writers

Category:Actresses from Livingston, New Jersey

Category:American Ashkenazi Jews

Category:American people of German descent

Category:American film actresses

Category:American LGBTQ rights activists

Category:American satirists

Category:American women satirists

Category:American sketch comedians

Category:American stand-up comedians

Category:American television actresses

Category:American television talk show hosts

Category:American women comedians

Category:American women podcasters

Category:American women television producers

Category:American women memoirists

Category:American women non-fiction writers

Category:Comedians from Los Angeles

Category:Comedians from Essex County, New Jersey

Category:Former Latter Day Saints

Category:Jewish American actresses

Category:Jewish American comedians

Category:Jewish American memoirists

Category:Jewish American non-fiction writers

Category:Jewish women comedians

Category:Jewish women writers

Category:Jews from New Jersey

Category:Late night television talk show hosts

Category:Livingston High School (New Jersey) alumni

Category:New Jersey Democrats

Category:People from Bel Air, Los Angeles

Category:Television producers from California

Category:Television producers from New Jersey

Category:Writers from Livingston, New Jersey