The comedy world gathered at the Kia Forum on May 10, 2026, as Netflix streamed The Roast of Kevin Hart live around the globe. This event closed out the 2026 Netflix Is a Joke Fest with a nearly three-hour parade of personal attacks. While host Shane Gillis and a long list of celebrities took turns targeting the 46-year-old comedian, Chelsea Handler delivered one of the most talked-about sets of the night.
Handler, 51, did not just focus on Hart. She exchanged brutal punches with the host and went after other comedians on the stage, creating multiple moments that immediately exploded on social media.
Handler Takes Aim at Kevin Hart’s Career and Apologizes
When Handler stepped up to the microphone, she went after Hart’s film history without holding back. She reminded the audience that she helped launch Hart’s career by giving him a weekly spot on her late-night talk show, Chelsea Lately. But then she turned that memory into a sharp joke.
“I had no idea we would be subjected to three ‘Jumanji’ movies and two ‘Ride Along’ movies,” Handler said. “I’m here to apologize.”
She also brought up Hart’s past legal troubles. The comedian had a DUI in 2013 and was involved in a serious car accident in 2019. Handler connected those events to the names of his own movies.
“Kevin had a DUI in 2013 and a little dipsy-do on Mulholland Drive in 2019,” Handler said. “And then he has the nerve to call one of his movies ‘Ride Along.’ Even Tiger Woods is like, ‘No thanks, I’ll walk.’”
The joke about Hart’s height also made an appearance. Handler suggested Hart should sit “criss-cross applesauce” to hide a supposed smell, using his small stature as the punchline. The line quickly spread across social media platforms.
The Blistering Exchange Between Handler and Host Shane Gillis
Before Handler even reached the stage, host Shane Gillis aimed several heavy jabs in her direction. He called Handler a “Zionist” and then made a joke about her views on abortion.
“Speaking of dead kids, she’s a big fan of abortions,” Gillis said. He added, “Chelsea’s been scraped more times than the grill at Benihana.”
Gillis then brought up a more serious topic. He mentioned that Handler attended a dinner at Jeffrey Epstein’s house in 2010.
“Speaking of tossing tiny shrimp into a child’s mouth, Chelsea Handler went to dinner at Jeffrey Epstein’s house in 2010,” Gillis told the crowd. “Look it up, there are articles. It wasn’t like a big party, there were like seven people there. It was like Prince Andrew and Woody Allen were there.”
Handler answered immediately when she got the microphone. She did not avoid the comment about Epstein. Instead, she focused on correcting Gillis on one point and then turned his own past against him.
“Shane, just so you know, Judaism and Zionism are two different things. Just like how Chinatown and Koreatown are two different things, but your favorite slur works in both places.”
The line referenced Gillis’s past controversy that got him fired from Saturday Night Live in 2019. He lost his spot on the show within a week of being hired after old podcast clips resurfaced where he used anti-Asian slurs. Handler’s quick response drew loud reactions from the audience.
Handler Tears Into MAGA Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe
Handler also singled out Tony Hinchcliffe, a comedian known for supporting Donald Trump. She did not leave any room for comfort.
“Tony is what happens when women don’t have safe access to abortion care,” Handler said. She continued, “Tony, you have the face of a school shooter and the personality of someone who gets shot first.”
She also made fun of Hinchcliffe’s teeth, saying he uses “Crest White Supremacist Strips.” Handler then asked him a pointed question about his friendship with podcaster Joe Rogan.
“If you’re here tonight, who’s keeping Joe Rogan’s balls warm in their mouth?” she asked.
Earlier in her set, Handler went after comedians who performed at the Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia during 2025. Hart, Pete Davidson, and Jeff Ross were among those who took part in that event. The festival received criticism due to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
“Now that your favorite leader is making the draft mandatory, I assume that all of you will be signing up to go fight the war in Iran,” Handler said. “Or do you tough-talking p***ies only go to the Middle East for comedy festivals?”
Hinchcliffe, who has said he turned down a $1 million offer to perform in Riyadh, fired back at Handler later during the show. He called her a “cold frigid b***h.”
Handler’s Epstein Dinner Comments Resurface Online
The exchange between Gillis and Handler brought renewed attention to her past connection to Jeffrey Epstein. Handler has spoken publicly about this dinner before. During a 2025 appearance on the Literally! With Rob Lowe podcast, she explained the situation.
Handler said she went to the dinner with journalist Katie Couric. Other guests included Woody Allen, Soon-Yi Previn, Charlie Rose, and Prince Andrew. She said she did not know who Epstein was at the time.
“I did go to dinner at Jeffrey Epstein’s house. I didn’t know who Jeffrey Epstein was,” Handler said on the podcast. “We had dinner and it was so awkward and so weird. I was like, what are we doing here?”
After the Netflix roast, social media users started sharing her past comments again. Some critics online pointed out that Handler did not directly address the Epstein joke during her set. One Instagram user wrote, “Notice she didn’t hit back on the Epstein part.”
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Other Roasters Join the Attack on Kevin Hart
Jeff Ross, known as the “Roastmaster General,” showed up wearing Eddie Murphy’s famous red leather outfit from the Delirious special. He used the outfit to take a shot at Hart.
“Tonight, I’m dressed like your idol, Eddie Murphy. Because he’s not coming. Your idol doesn’t give a [expletive] about you,” Ross said.
Ross also shared a serious moment. He thanked Hart for making fun of him at a previous roast, which pushed Ross to get a colonoscopy. Doctors found a Stage 3 tumor. Ross survived because of that test.
“They found a Stage 3 tumor in my colon. Luckily, like you, Kevin, it stopped growing. So thank you, little buddy, for saving my life,” Ross said.
Tom Brady also made a surprise appearance. Hart had served as the host for Brady’s own Netflix roast two years earlier. Brady came to the Kia Forum to return the favor before leaving before the main show started. Dwayne Johnson closed the night with a pyrotechnic-filled entrance and his own set of jokes aimed at Hart.
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