Chelsea Handler has opened up about her views on love, independence, and why relationships aren’t her priority.
Emphasizing freedom and self-focus, the comedian shared her preference for casual connections over commitment and her skepticism toward marriage.
Chelsea Handler previously reflected on past love, particularly her relationship with Jo Koy, highlighting how it shaped her outlook without changing her core values.
Chelsea Handler Reveals Why She Is Not Seeking Love And Chooses Freedom First
During a candid conversation on the “Angie Martinez IRL Podcast,” comedian Chelsea Handler shared her unfiltered thoughts on love, relationships, and why she’s not actively searching for a partner, noting, “that is not my agenda in life.”
Handler made it clear that romance isn’t a priority for her, emphasizing that her focus is on herself and supporting other women.
She explained that she’s never felt a strong need to pursue a relationship, adding that it takes something truly special to capture her attention beyond casual connections.
For her, independence and spontaneity matter more than commitment, as she enjoys traveling, meeting people, and maintaining her personal space without the expectations of a serious relationship.
“I’m here for women, and I’m here for myself,” Handler stated, per Fox News. “I’ve never been very thirsty for a man or a partner. You’ve got to really kind of get my attention for me to pay attention in a serious way because otherwise it’s a bunch of casual encounters. You know what I mean? I like that. I like traveling a lot. I like hooking up with guys. I don’t like to get too serious. I don’t want someone in my space all the time. I just am not interested in that.”
While she doesn’t completely dismiss the idea of growing old with someone, Handler reframes being single as freedom rather than loneliness.
Chelsea Handler Talks Love On Her Terms, ‘Cowboy’ Romance And Why She Calls Marriage ‘Outdated’
Freedom, Handler noted, is central to how she lives her life. Not having to check in with a partner or compromise her choices is something she deeply values.
Interestingly, despite her stance, the former “Chelsea Lately” host is currently seeing someone she jokingly refers to as “Cowboy.”
Their connection began unexpectedly at a Las Vegas blackjack table when he lent her $1,000 and later developed during a shared trip to Antarctica.
Still, when it comes to marriage, she remains unconvinced. Handler described it as an “outdated” concept and even questioned its traditional roots, suggesting it can feel restrictive.
Though she admitted there’s a chance she might change her mind someday, she doesn’t view marriage as something she needs or aspires to.
“At some point, I might just go, OK, f-ck it. I’m 50 years old, so I might as well just go get married,” she said. “What could go wrong at this point? I don’t care about marriage. I don’t care about that. I feel like that’s a very patriarchal thing anyway. You’re kind of like property a little bit,” she said.
Chelsea Handler Opens Up About Jo Koy Breakup And Choosing Herself Over Love
Reflecting on her past relationship with fellow comedian Jo Koy, Handler spoke about the emotional depth they shared and how it renewed her faith “in men, in love, [and] in being 100% who I am.”
Despite that bond, she eventually came to terms with the fact that they weren’t meant to last.
According to Handler, their differences reached a point where staying together would have required her to lose parts of herself, something she wasn’t prepared to do, no matter how strong her feelings were.
She later opened up further about the breakup on an episode of the “Now What?” podcast with Brooke Shields in December 2022.
The Comedian Was Not ‘Going To Abandon’ Herself For Jo Koy
Handler admitted she once believed Koy could be the person she’d spend her life with and even found herself considering marriage.
But “towards the end of the relationship, it just became clear that this was not my person.”
Handler explained that certain behaviors and disagreements between them couldn’t be resolved, and staying would have meant compromising her identity.
“I would have been OK to do if I were 20 or 25, but I wasn’t willing to do that. No matter how much I loved this person — and I loved him so much — I was not going to abandon myself,” she said.
Chelsea Handler Reveals Mystery Rapper In Her DMs
During a recent appearance on “Watch What Happens Live” with Andy Cohen, Handler was put on the spot and asked to name a celebrity who has slid into her DMs.
Handler admitted she couldn’t quite remember the exact name but revealed that a “big rapper” had messaged her at some point.
Laughing it off, she noted that rappers reaching out isn’t unusual for her, adding that one particular message stood out so much she took a screenshot and shared it with friends, though the identity of the sender slipped her mind. She did mention that the interaction happened within the past year.
Among the rappers she’s publicly linked to, 50 Cent is the most notable. The two briefly dated back in 2010, and Handler has spoken about him on multiple occasions since.
Earlier this year, while appearing on the “We Might Be Drunk” podcast, she spoke highly of the rapper and media mogul, describing him as relentless, especially when it comes to his ongoing feud with Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Handler also joked about her unique status among his exes, claiming she’s one of the few he still speaks about positively.
“I’m the only one he doesn’t ever talk sh-t about,” she said. “Apparently… he talks sh-t about all of his exes, and I’m one of the only ones he talks about respectfully.”