Chelsea Handler has denied former opening act Salma Hindy's claim that her work with the comedian ended after she raised concerns about the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Hindy saying Handler has since threatened legal action over the allegations
Hindy, a Canadian-Egyptian comedian who began opening for Handler's tours in 2022, detailed her account in an Instagram video on Wednesday, 16 September, saying it took her nearly three years to speak publicly about the breakdown of their professional relationship.
She said she contacted Handler privately in October 2023 after seeing social media posts by fellow comedians Sarah Silverman and Amy Schumer about the conflict. Hindy said she later discussed the issue with Handler while the pair were touring together.
Hindy's Allegations
Hindy said she was removed from three upcoming shows shortly after contacting Handler, although she continued to work with the comedian and performed several shows in Canada in December 2023.
She also said two January 2024 shows were cancelled because of severe weather. According to Hindy, Handler's team paid for her return flight but did not reimburse other travel and hotel expenses she had already incurred.
Hindy said her manager at the time, who she noted was Jewish, told her Handler was 'trying to get rid of me because of the Palestine thing'. She acknowledged, however, that Handler never made that statement directly to her.
Hindy said she was moved to come forward now after rapper Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour following his own pro-Palestinian remarks onstage.
Chelsea Handler's Response
Handler pushed back on Hindy's account on Thursday, sharing screenshots that included a text from Hindy dated 29 January 2024 in which Hindy wrote she 'won't be able to do the remaining four shows anymore'. She also shared emails showing that her team had discussed future tour dates with Hindy and that she had previously agreed to reimburse Hindy's travel expenses.
Commenting directly on Hindy's Instagram post, which had drawn 1.4 million views at the time of posting, Handler wrote that Hindy had quit rather than been dropped, adding, 'Your agent is full of it.' She said she would never end a working relationship over a political disagreement.
Handler later added, 'And I never fired her. Period. Not on this issue.'
A Legal Threat, But No Lawsuit Yet
Hindy said on Instagram Stories that Handler had privately told her she had contacted lawyers and considered her account libellous.
Hindy said she was not initiating legal action herself and was instead seeking advice from lawyers experienced in defamation, media and First Amendment law.
At present, there is no indication that a lawsuit has been filed. The allegations and Handler's response remain disputed, with the available messages providing different accounts of why Hindy's working relationship with Handler ended.
People Online Are Predicting a Backfire
Reaction online has been divided, with some commenters expressing support for Hindy and others pointing to Handler's screenshots as evidence that Hindy voluntarily withdrew from the remaining dates.
One highly upvoted comment on the r/Fauxmoi subreddit wrote: 'Oh Chelsea is gonna Streisand effect this so bad lmao', a reference to the phenomenon in which legal or PR attempts to suppress a story end up amplifying it instead.
The online reaction, however, does not establish which account is correct. Both comedians have presented their own versions of events, and neither has provided evidence that conclusively resolves the dispute.
Handler has previously made public comments critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, including remarks in 2018 about Gaza and the West Bank.
