Chelsea Handler teared up while reflecting on a difficult time in her career.
While making an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast, she got emotional when she was looking back at a low point in her career.
The 49-year-old stand-up comedian opened up about making the tough decision to leave her longtime agency and reflected on the hard conversations she had to have.
She explained that even though there were ‘a few people’ who were ‘working hard for me,’ she decided to part ways with them because ‘some other parts of the agency were not really working in concert.’
Even though it was a ‘bummer,’ Handler — who recently spoke about a ‘toxic’ relationship she was in — said she had to ‘take care of myself’ and knew she ‘made the right decision.’
The talk show host, who signed with WME in November 2024, recalled how difficult it was facing her former agents and telling them about her decision to leave.
Chelsea Handler teared up while reflecting on a difficult time in her career. While making an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast, she got emotional when she was looking back at a low point in her career
The 49-year-old stand-up comedian opened up about making the tough decision to leave her longtime agency and reflected on the hard conversations she had to have. She recalled having emotional conversations with her agents who meant a lot to her
However, she gave herself a pat on the back for not ‘[cowering] away from an uncomfortable conversation.’
‘One of my conversations with one of my agents was quite emotional, actually, because she and I had to have a personal experience a few years back,’ Handler told the podcast host.
‘And that was very meaningful and a difficult time in her life, and it became emotional.’
Then, she recalled having another emotional conversation with her other agent, who she had worked with for a long time.
‘Again, I got off the phone and I spoke to my other agent, who I had for many years, and I felt proud that I was able to face that moment,’ she recalled.
‘I felt proud that I was able to be an adult. I felt proud that we got emotional,’ she said about their ‘connection.’
While reflecting on those conversations, Handler got choked up.
‘I’m getting emotional just talking about it,’ the This Means War actress said.
While reflecting on those conversations, Handler got choked up. ‘I’m getting emotional just talking about it,’ the This Means War actress said
While it was a difficult time, she said that period of her life and those tough conversations were ‘so meaningful.’ ‘Because all you really want in life is to have an impact on people,’ she explained. ‘That’s what I want. I want people to feel impacted by me’
While it was a difficult time, she said that period of her life and those tough conversations were ‘so meaningful.’
‘Because all you really want in life is to have an impact on people,’ she explained. ‘That’s what I want. I want people to feel impacted by me.’
She added: ‘I want people to feel better and to know that I’m your sister. And with that conversation with her — that was really — she reminded me that I was a good sister to her, and I had forgotten that.’
Then, Handler stressed the importance of advocating for herself, adding that conflict does not always have to be contentious.
‘You saying your peace or standing up for yourself doesn’t have to be conflict,’ she said. ‘It can be easy.’
During her podcast appearance, she also spoke about her early career and recalled people attempting to ‘block her success.’
She admitted the competitive nature of Hollywood made her act in ways that ‘wasn’t gracious’ but said she made a point to change that about herself.
Then, Handler stressed the importance of advocating for herself, adding that conflict does not always have to be contentious. ‘You saying your peace or standing up for yourself doesn’t have to be conflict,’ she said. ‘It can be easy’; pictured February at Critics Choice Awards
During her podcast appearance, she also spoke about her early career and recalled people attempting to ‘block her success’; pictured February at Critics Choice Awards
‘All of the blockades that I experienced in the beginning of my career were by women, not by men,’ the producer, a vocal advocate of women’s rights, pointed out.
‘And I was like, “What’s going on?” I was threatening to them, and in turn, they were trying to block my success, and tell me I didn’t have the value that I believed I had. And I found that so confounding.’
Then, she added: ‘And so when I started doing my show on Chelsea Lately, I had my own issues with people I worked with before where I wasn’t gracious, maybe, or we had friction between us or were competitive.
‘But once I felt that directed at me, I made sure that I was never going to move forward professionally in that way,’ she continued.
Once she landed her own talk show, Chelsea Lately, she said she wanted to share her success with as many people as possible.
‘I was like, I’m going to share the spotlight with as many women, gay men, marginalized communities. I want people of color — everyone was gonna be part of my playground, because I didn’t want anyone to ever experience what I experienced,’ she said about her difficult journey before landing her big break.
‘I’m going to welcome you here on this show and share this with everyone and that became that show,’ she said about her E! TV series. ‘And that’s why that show was successful. It was inclusive, not exclusive.’
Handler hosted Chelsea Lately from 2007 to 2014. Two years later, she released a Netflix documentary about her life, Chelsea Does, in January 2016.
She admitted the competitive nature of Hollywood made her act in ways that ‘wasn’t gracious’ but said she made a point to change that about herself; pictured in 2007 portrait
Handler hosted Chelsea Lately from 2007 to 2014. Two years later, she released a Netflix documentary about her life, Chelsea Does, in January 2016. She spoke about her great success and explained how she motivated herself by looking at success of other women as inspiration rather than competition; pictured in 2016
She spoke about her great success and explained how she motivated herself by looking at the success of other women as inspiration rather than competition.
‘Blowing out someone else’s candle doesn’t make yours brighter. That’s not a real thing,’ she said.
‘And it’s hard in the world we live in. I am a victim of this too, where I look at someone’s success who has succeeded beyond mine and been like, “Oh, I wish I had done that.” And it’s a constant reminder that that is not your path. You’re on your path.’
She added: ‘If anything, use that as a motivator. Change that drum beat in your head that, “Oh, I don’t like that.” “They got that.” Change that drum beat like, “Yeah, that success — one more woman succeeding means more success for all of us.”
