Chelsea Handler

Chelsea Joy Handler, born February 25, 1975, is an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, television host, and producer. She gained widespread recognition as the host of the late-night comedy talk show Chelsea Lately on the E! network, which ran from 2007 to 2014. Handler is also known for hosting the streaming talk show Chelsea, creating documentary projects, writing multiple best-selling books, and producing various television programs.

Handler was raised in Livingston, New Jersey, as the youngest of six children born to a German mother and an American father. She was raised in Reform Judaism and had a Bat Mitzvah. After attending Livingston High School, she moved to Los Angeles at age 19 to pursue acting while working as a waitress. She was inspired to pursue stand-up comedy at age 21 after sharing a story about a driving arrest with a class of DUI offenders who found her account humorous.

Handler's early television work included being part of the cast of the hidden camera reality series Girls Behaving Badly from 2002 to 2005, along with guest appearances on various shows and stand-up comedy specials. In 2006, she hosted The Chelsea Handler Show on E!, leading to the launch of Chelsea Lately in July 2007. The show aired over 1,000 episodes before concluding in 2014 and spawned the spin-off mockumentary series After Lately. In 2010, she became the second woman in history to serve as sole host of the MTV Video Music Awards.

Following Chelsea Lately, Handler shifted her focus toward streaming and documentary projects. In 2016, she released the four-part documentary series Chelsea Does, covering subjects such as marriage, technology, racism, and drugs, and hosted the talk show Chelsea from 2016 to 2017. In 2019, she released another documentary, Hello, Privilege. It's Me, Chelsea, which explored white privilege. In May 2020, she announced plans to produce and star in a stand-up comedy special for HBO Max.

Through her production company, Borderline Amazing Productions, and partnerships with various networks, Handler has produced several television series. Her producing credits include reality programs such as Pretty Wild, as well as talk shows hosted by Whitney Cummings, Ross Mathews, and Josh Wolf. She also signed a multi-year first-look deal with NBCUniversal in 2018 and executive produced comedic projects developed for outlets like HBO Max and Peacock.

Handler has authored six books that reached number one on The New York Times Best Seller list. These publications include essay collections and memoirs such as Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me, Uganda Be Kidding Me, and Life Will Be the Death of Me... and You Too!. Over her career, she was named to the Time 100 list of most influential people in 2012, appeared on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list in 2010, and received the Human Rights Campaign's Ally for Equality Award in 2009.