Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Chelsea Handler has denied firing a comedian over her “Free Palestine” support.
The 51-year-old actress and comedian has responded to comic Salma Hindy, who claimed Chelsea tried to “get rid” of her for speaking up publicly about Palestine.
In a video shared on Instagram this week, Salma claimed: “I lost my position as Chelsea Handler’s opener after I spoke to her about Palestine.”
The Canadian-Egyptian comic had opened for Chelsea on two tours since 2022, and she described their relationship as “very loving” and “sisterly”.
Salma said she asked Chelsea if she wanted to “speak about the Palestine-Israel thing” following posts by her friends Sarah Silverman and Amy Schumer, which she branded “disgustingly racist” towards Palestinians.
She alleged that Chelsea ignored her, and pulled her from three shows, as well as cancelling two at the last minute due to severe weather, but didn’t tell her.
Salma said while the star’s team bought her a plane ticket back to New York City, she wasn’t reimbursed.
She continued: “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.”
Chelsea took issue with Salma’s version of events, and reportedly left a comment under the post.
She wrote: “Ah, that’s actually not what happened. 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.”
Chelsea shared screenshots of communications with Salma, who appeared to drop out of a show which she claimed was cancelled without her knowledge.
The messages also show Chelsea approving reimbursement for travel.
Now, Salma has responded on her Instagram Story and alleged that Chelsea is taking legal action.
She wrote: “I want to clarify that the reimbursement email Chelsea posted is dated January 2022. My video concerns expenses from two cancelled shows in January 2024.
“Her team purchased my return flight, but I was not reimbursed for the other flights and hotel costs I had already incurred.
“I ultimately withdrew from the remaining dates after my representatives told me through multiple phone calls that reimbursement had been refused, that continuing to push the issue could end my working relationship with Chelsea, and that I would not work with her again.”
She again alleged that her manager told her on the phone “that he believed I was being pushed out because of Palestine”.
She added: “These were not direct written statements from Chelsea, but they were the context in which I withdrew.”
Salma put out a request for a lawyer “experienced in defamation, media/First Amendment law, or Palestine-related retaliation” who could “consult or assist pro bono”.
She wrote: “Chelsea has now privately told me she contacted her lawyers and considers my account libellous. I am not initiating legal action. I’m seeking to protect myself.”
