Comedian Slams Chelsea Handler for Firing Her Over Politics

The Daily Beast/Instagram/Getty Comedian Salma Hindy has launched fiery accusations against Chelsea Handler , saying Handler fired her because of her support for Palestine amid the war in Gaza.

Hindy, a Canadian-Egyptian comedian, said it took her “nearly three years to find the courage to speak publicly” about the deterioration of her professional relationship with Handler.

She opened for Handler’s comedic tours multiple times beginning in 2022 and had spent time with Handler in a personal capacity.

But then the relationship took a turn.

In a three-minute video on Instagram, Hindy alleged that she initially asked Handler to speak out against the genocide in Gaza in 2023 after Handler’s friends, Sarah Silverman and Amy Schumer , posted “some disgustingly racist, dehumanizing posts against Palestinians.” Hindy said Handler never responded, but that she was immediately dropped from three out of the 12 scheduled shows in Handler’s tour.

The pair continued to work together sporadically.

But in 2024, again, Hindy claimed Handler canceled two shows “at the last minute” without informing Hindy.

“I was at the hotel room, waiting to go down to the venue,” she recalled.

Hindy alleged that Handler’s team bought her a flight ticket to New York but “refused to reimburse” her for other expenses she had already incurred, including the inbound flight and the hotel.

The comedian continued to outline a back-and-forth with Handler.

Ultimately, she concluded, “My manager... 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.” Hindy said she was “financially devastated” at the time and was “terrified” about speaking out about the situation.

She has now decided to break her silence in the wake of rapper Macklemore being dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour due to his pro-Palestine stance .

Macklemore has been praised for maintaining his stance, while a broader conversation is underway about freedom of speech, control over artists , and the consequences of speaking in support of Palestine.

“To every artist who is afraid to speak about what happened to them: I hope you find the safety, support, and courage to tell your story when you are ready,” wrote Hindy in her caption.