Chelsea Joy Handler was born on February 25, 1975, in Livingston, New Jersey. She attended Livingston High School before moving to Los Angeles at 19 to pursue an acting career. Her comedy career began after a DUI arrest led to a court-mandated class where her improvised monologue made the room laugh.

Handler built her stand-up career through club performances and television appearances, landing a recurring spot on Oxygen’s Girls Behaving Badly in 2002. She published her debut book, My Horizontal Life, in 2005, which became a surprise bestseller. Her television breakthrough came in 2006 with The Chelsea Handler Show on E! This was followed in 2007 by Chelsea Lately, making her one of the only women in television history to host a major late-night talk show.

After Chelsea Lately ended in 2014, Handler launched Chelsea on Netflix in 2016, which ran for two seasons. She has since focused on stand-up specials, including The Feeling on Netflix in 2025. She hosted the Critics’ Choice Awards for the fourth consecutive year in January 2026, participated in the Netflix Roast of Kevin Hart in May 2026, and continues to headline The High and Mighty Tour across North America in 2026.