When you tune into a comedy roast — like The Roast of Kevin Hart, which recently aired live on the Netflix schedule — you know you’re going to get some crass humor and jokes that hit below the belt. That was certainly the case for the Ride Along actor, and Chelsea Handler, who was one of the night’s roasters, had no qualms about calling out host Shane Gillis for the brand of humor he brought to the evening. It should come as no surprise, either, that the comedian had quite the snarky response to her criticism.
What Chelsea Handler Said About Shane Gillis And Tony Hinchcliffe’s Roast Humor
Chelsea Handler visited Deon Cole’s Funny Knowing You podcast following Kevin Hart’s roast, and she said she really wasn’t surprised at the insults that were aimed at her — particularly from host Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchcliffe, another comedian on the dais that night — saying:
It’s just everything we know — that they’re racist, that they’re bigots, that they’re sexist.
The 51-year-old said she expected the jokes about her dating life at the Kevin Hart roast, as she said:
They couldn't say anything other than that I'm a whore or my age. And you're like, ‘Well OK, those aren't jokes. That's not clever writing.’ And I knew they would be lazy because they do that for a living.
Chelsea Handler went on to say that Kevin Hart deserved an “elevated roast,” which is what she tried to bring, knowing that Shane Gillis and others would be at “the bottom of the barrel.” She didn’t like the jokes about Cheryl Underwood’s husband’s suicide, and the racial humor rubbed her the wrong way as well, as she said:
It was gross. I don't find those jokes to be funny — jokes about lynching Black people. Lynching is not a joke.
Word of Chelsea Handler’s interview got back to Shane Gillis, who naturally had some thoughts.
How Shane Gillis Responded To Chelsea Handler’s Criticism
When asked about his thoughts on being called “racist,” “sexist” and “lazy” by the former talk show host, Shane Gillis had a measured — and seemingly sarcastic — response, telling Page Six:
This is a big moment for Chelsea. I am glad she's capitalizing. Good for her. We're all rooting for her. Anyway come see me July 17th at the football stadium in Philly.
It doesn’t seem like the roast host is taking Chelsea Handler’s criticisms to heart, seeming to suggest that she’s saying things as an attempt to keep her name in the headlines (while also promoting his own event).
Shane Gillis knows that he pushes people’s buttons with his humor, and this is far from the first time he’s faced backlash for it. Back in 2019, he was hired onto Saturday Night Live but was fired when his history of using racial and homophobic slurs came to light. The comedian would later come back to host SNL and joke about being fired.
If you want to see what all the hubbub is about, you can stream The Roast of Kevin Hart with a Netflix subscription.
