Shane Gillis has fired back at Chelsea Handler’s comments about his Kevin Hart roast. The comedian found himself at the center of backlash after several polarizing jokes during the Netflix event sparked outrage online.
Handler openly accused Gillis and fellow comic Tony Hinchcliffe of crossing the line, arguing that the roast turned unnecessarily offensive.
Gillis, however, appeared unfazed by the criticism and responded with sarcasm as debate surrounding the live event continues to divide comedians and fans alike.
Chelsea Handler ignited backlash after unloading on Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchcliffe during Wednesday’s episode of the “Den Cole’s Funny Knowing You” podcast.
The comedian did not soften her criticism while discussing the controversial material featured during “The Roast of Kevin Hart” earlier this month.
“I knew enough about Tony and Shane — they’re racists, they’re bigots, they’re sexist,” Handler said bluntly.
Her comments quickly made headlines, but Gillis responded almost immediately through a representative with a sarcastic statement that mocked the growing attention surrounding the feud.
“This is a big moment for Chelsea,” Gillis told Page Six through a rep, adding, “I am glad she’s capitalizing. Good for her. We’re all rooting for her.”
He then shifted gears entirely by promoting one of his upcoming comedy appearances. “Anyway come see me July 17th at the football stadium in Philly,” he added.
Handler Called Out Specific Roast Jokes
Chelsea Handler’s outrage centered largely around a controversial joke Shane Gillis made about Kevin Hart during the Netflix event.
At one point during the roast, Gillis joked that the actor was so short “they’re gonna have to lynch him from a bonsai tree.”
Handler strongly condemned the remark while explaining why she believed it crossed a serious boundary.
“Lynching Black people is not a joke. It’s worse than rape,” she said.
The 51-year-old insisted she had no issue with roast comics pushing boundaries, but argued that there was still a difference between edgy humor and material she views as hateful or degrading.
“I don’t find those jokes funny,” Handler explained. She also criticized the overall tone of the event, saying Hart deserved something more thoughtful than what unfolded on stage.
According to Handler, Hart “deserved” an “elevated roast.” “There was so much disgustingness, I knew it was gonna be a gross vibe,” she added.
The comedian also took issue with a separate joke from Hinchcliffe involving the late husband of Sheryl Underwood, Michael Sparkman, who died by suicide in 1990.
Shane Gillis Also Roasted Chelsea Handler
Ironically, Handler herself became one of the targets during the roast. Gillis introduced the comedian with harsh jokes referencing her appearance at a 2010 event hosted by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while also mocking her liberal political views.
“Chelsea is a Zionist. Not saying that’s a good or bad thing,” the 38-year-old began, adding. “Speaking of dead kids, she’s a big fan of abortions. Chelsea’s been scraped more times than the grill at Benihana.”
Gillis continued, “Speaking of tossing tiny shrimp into a child’s mouth, Chelsea Handler went to dinner at Jeffrey Epstein’s house in 2010. Look it up, there are articles.”
Handler has previously addressed the Epstein dinner publicly. In 2021, she claimed the gathering was uncomfortable and insisted she “didn’t know who” Epstein was at the time.
Chelsea Handler wasn’t alone in criticizing the Netflix roast. “Saturday Night Live” star Michael Che also weighed in days after the event, despite ultimately missing the special due to scheduling conflicts with NBC.
Che posted a series of Instagram messages criticizing the style of humor used by Gillis and Hinchcliffe before deleting them.
“White guys and black people joke different,” Che wrote. “Black guys roast like, ‘look at this n–a shoes!’ white roasts are like, ‘slavery, math, slain teens, sex crimes, slurs, family secrets.’”
He followed the observation with another blunt remark, “white guys dont give a f–k about they shoes.” Che also criticized the group of writers working behind the scenes on the roast.
In another deleted post, he sarcastically mocked the decision-making process behind celebrating Hart’s career with what appeared to be an all-white writing team.
“‘Let’s do a roast celebrating the career of the most successful black comic in the last 10 years,’” Che wrote, adding, “I love that! Who should we get to write it?”
Chelsea Handler Debate Grows As Other Comics Defend Roast Humor
Not everyone agreed with Handler’s outrage over the special. Sheryl Underwood herself later appeared on the Netflix event, Tudum, and defended controversial comedy while discussing the backlash surrounding the event.
The 62-year-old shared that she understood people felt bad for her, as comedians spoke about her husband’s suicide.
However, Underwood revealed that she found the jokes hilarious.
“I believe the line is the intention of the comedian and the construction of the joke,” she shared.
Underwood revealed that actor The Rock, also spoke to her about what to expect on the show.
“For somebody to notice you — you want to be seen, heard, and respected. That night, I was seen, heard, and respected,” she shared.
