Chelsea Handler and Shane Gillis at the Roast of Kevin Hart
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Shane Gillis fires back at Chelsea Handler for slamming his ‘disgusting’ and ‘racist’ jokes

'This is a big moment for Chelsea'

Daisy Phillipson
22nd May 2026, 11:39
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The Roast of Kevin Hart controversy continues, as Shane Gillis has now responded to Chelsea Handler calling him and Tony Hinchcliffe “racist”.

Hosted by Gillis and part of Netflix Is a Joke Fest 2026, the nearly-three-hour comedy special aired on Sunday, May 10th.

The event ran into controversy in the following days, particularly due to Hinchcliffe’s comment about George Floyd.

“The Black community is so proud of you,” the Kill Tony host said. “Right now George Floyd is looking up at us all laughing so hard he can’t breathe.”

Floyd’s family slammed the joke, and last week, a press conference was held whereby civil rights activists and Floyd’s relatives demanded accountability.

Chelsea Handler, another comedian featured during The Roast of Kevin Hart, has since criticised Gillis and Hinchcliffe for their comments. 

On the latest episode of Deon Cole’s Funny Knowing You podcast, when the conversation turned to the roast, Handler described the pair as “racist” and “sexist.”

Shane Gillis says Chelsea Handler is ‘capitalising’ on controversy

Gillis has now responded to Handler’s comments, joking that she is “capitalising” on the backlash surrounding the roast.

In a statement shared with Film Shrine, Gillis said: “This is a big moment for Chelsea. I am glad she’s capitalising. Good for her. We’re all rooting for her. Anyway come see me July 17th at the football stadium in Philly.”

During the podcast, Handler specifically criticised one of Gillis’ jokes about Kevin Hart, in which he said the comedian is so short “they’re gonna have to lynch him from a bonsai tree.”

When Deon Cole asked whether she found any of the controversial jokes funny, Handler replied: “No, it was ick. It was gross.

“I don’t find those jokes to be funny. Jokes about lynching black people – lynching is not a joke. It’s worse than rape… It’s a roast. You go for it. But you can go for it without being gross.”

Handler also brought up Hinchcliffe’s joke aimed at Sheryl Underwood, where he referenced the death of her late husband Michael Sparkman, who died by suicide in 1990.

“Her husband committed suicide three years into their marriage,” Hinchcliffe said. “I’ve been sitting next to her for two hours and I have to ask, ‘How did he last that long?’”

Underwood responded with a joke of her own, telling the crowd: “Question for the day is: Who has had more Black d*ck in this town? Me or Chelsea Handler? The answer is Tony Hinchcliffe.”

Speaking about the exchange, Handler said: “She’s fine with that. If she says she’s fine with that, she’s fine with that. I wasn’t fine with that. I thought that was disgusting too.”

Shane Gillis at the Roast of Kevin Hart
Credit: Netflix

Earlier in the podcast, Handler also claimed she “knew they would be lazy” based on their comedy backgrounds, adding that she had received direct messages from Gillis’ ex-girlfriends.

When Cole asked what the messages allegedly said, Handler replied: “It’s just everything we know – that they’re racist, that they’re bigots, that they’re sexist, you know, that they think they’re invincible.”

Film Shrine has reached out to representatives for Chelsea Handler, Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchcliffe for comment.

Featured image credit: Netflix