Chelsea Handler has denied firing comedian Salma Hindy from her stand-up tour over pro-Palestinian comments, saying Hindy chose to stop opening for her and that she has emails from the comedian’s agents to support her account.
Hindy had alleged that her relationship with Handler changed after she privately asked about Handler’s position on Palestine. She said Handler later shared a video she regarded as Islamophobic and dehumanising, prompting her to publish a pro-Palestinian message on social media.
Hindy claimed that subsequent shows with Handler were cancelled and that there were disputes over reimbursement for travel costs. She also alleged that her manager told her Handler wanted to remove her from the tour without explicitly saying so.
“My manager, who was Jewish, at the time told me that Chelsea Handler is trying to get rid of me because of the Palestine thing, but she doesn’t want to say it so that she doesn’t incriminate herself. He told me I could go on the rest of the tour with her, but that she would never work with me ever again,” Hindy alleged.
Chelsea Handler denies firing Salma Hindy
Handler responded in a comment on Hindy’s Instagram post, rejecting the claim that she had been dismissed because of her political views.
“Ah, that’s actually not what happened,” Handler wrote. “You quit opening for me, and I have the emails from your agents. Your agent is full of it. I would never fire someone for disagreeing with me politically on this issue.”
“And I never fired her. Period. Not on this issue,” she added.
Handler also posted a screenshot of a message from Hindy which appeared to show her withdrawing from the remaining performances. Hindy wrote: “Chelsea, something has now come up and I won’t be able to do the remaining four shows anymore [sad face]. Wanted you to hear it from me. Thank you for everything. It’s been such an experience, and you’re right it would’ve been wonderful stage time [heart].”
The comedian shared further screenshots of emails from previous years in which she had agreed to cover Hindy’s travel expenses after a scheduling change.
Hindy later 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, but was seeking advice to protect herself and asking attorneys with experience in defamation, media and First Amendment law, or Palestine-related retaliation to contact her.
