Stand-up comedian, actress and writer Chelsea Handler is turning heads with her recent appearance on The Roast of Kevin Hart, a Comedy Special that took place at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles as part of Netflix Is a Joke Fest 2026 on May 10. Hosted by American stand-up comedian and podcaster Shane Gillis, the live Comedy Special was attended by many of Kevin Hart’s friends and fellow comedians, who took part in a brutal round of merciless insults.
Chelsea Handler emerged as one of the most talked-about celebrities of the night, spewing a string of insults and keeping the applause going in The Roast of Kevin Hart. However, the audience was taken aback when Chelsea Handler used the Netflix platform to call out the men on the dais, making a bold statement about them: “white supremacists, r*pists, and p*dophiles.”
While this moment garnered shocking reactions from both Hart and the audience, things got controversial when Shane Gillis introduced Chelsea Handler as a ”Zionist.” Gillis’ introduction went:
“Chelsea is a Zionist. Not saying that’s a good or bad thing. Speaking of dead kids…”
Gillis’ unhinged remarks on The Roast of Kevin Hart are making rounds online as Chelsea Handler’s history with the late Jeffrey Epstein and her romantic relationship with the American singer and rapper 50 Cent are coming into the spotlight once again.
More on The Roast of Kevin Hart in our story.
The Roast of Kevin Hart revived Chelsea Handler’s controversial dinner with Jeffrey Epstein
Moments after Gillis’ bold jabs at Chelsea Handler for dining with Epstein went live on The Roast of Kevin Hart, the audience began fishing out the comedian’s past interviews and relationships. Many users posted Handler’s interviews on social media platforms, where she acknowledged attending a dinner party at Epstein’s New York mansion years before his arrest on federal s*x-trafficking charges in 2019.
In an interview on Literally! With Rob Lowe (resurfaced after the Netflix live show), Chelsea Handler described her dinner party at Epstein’s mansion as ‘weird’, which also included media personalities such as Prince Andrew, Soon-Yi Previn, Woody Allen and Katie Couric. Users are dissecting Handler’s earlier comments, in which she called the dinner ‘awkward’ and ‘uncomfortable,’ especially her conversation with actor Rob Lowe and with filmmaker Woody Allen & Soon-Yi Previn.
Chelsea Handler’s controversial moment of fame did not end here, as users began searching for her past relationship with 50 Cent. The comedian dated the famous rapper briefly in 2010. However, the couple likely parted on bad terms as both Handler and 50 Cent were seen exchanging public insults in interviews and on social media.
Soon after The Roast of Kevin Hart, users took to Reddit and reflected on Gillis’ bold ‘dead babies’ remarks about Handler.
A Reddit user pointed out Handler’s bold comeback against Gillis, where she 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 sl*r works in both places.”
The user believed Chelsea Handler’s sharp comeback was prompted by Shane Gillis bringing up her alleged Epstein connection:
”I think Chelsea came at Shane so hard because she got called out for her party with Epstein.”
Another user praised Gillis for calling out Handler on her Epstein connection and her recent political inclinations:
”Also love this and love that he called out Chelsea being connected to Epstein and promoting killing kids in Gaza.”
Although The Roast of Kevin Hart was intended as a lighthearted comedy event, the moment has ignited controversy, particularly amid today’s increasingly complicated celebrity culture.
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Edited by Aashna