Comedian Chelsea Handler was making the rounds on television this week promoting her newest memoir and Netflix documentary where she talks about her personal life and reaction to President Trump’s election. On ABC’s The View, she made a surprising admission, claiming that her own “white privilege” was what caused her to melt down over Trump, saying white liberals acted like “spoiled brats."
Handler, who told HBO’s Bill Maher on Friday that she had a “midlife crisis” when President Trump was elected, told the hosts of The View Tuesday that her grief over her deceased brother and father that abandoned her came out in her rage at the president:
It took me to really dig deep. It was after the election. When I thought I was going to have a mental breakdown because this man is president. And I realized what he signified was actually what happened during my childhood when it became undone. When my whole world fell apart. I lost the two most important men in my life... And in my 40s, after the election, I took a deeper look at myself. Because I didn't want to be in such a state of reaction. I wanted to be actionable. I wanted to make a difference.
After this, co-host Sunny Hostin asked her about her new documentary, praising her for “exploring” the topic of white privilege, calling it both “fascinating” and “brave:”
SUNNY HOSTIN: The other thing you're working on is, which is fascinating, is a documentary on Netflix about white privilege.
CHELSEA HANDLER: Yes.
HOSTIN: You say you yourself have benefited from it. Why is it important for you to explore that? I mean that’s pretty brave. People don't want to talk about race.
The liberal comedian ranted that her own “white privilege” was what actually caused her and other white liberals, to behave like “spoiled brats” in their disappointment to the election:
No, white people certainly don't want to talk about it. So I figured start with myself so you know I can hang myself out to dry at my own privilege, at my own reaction to the presidency. Like a spoiled brat, you know, the way so many people were crying and screaming. It was like, well, nothing in your life has ever gone that wrong before? I really had to look and go, no. Yes, my brother died. That was traumatic and awful. I have never been hungry, I’ve never been discriminated against that I knew about. I think As a person with a platform, you have to start thinking about what kind of contribution you're going to make when you see the things that are going on in this world.
Handler added that she felt like an “idiot” for thinking racial problems were ending here after President Obama. Co-host Joy Behar scoffed, “hardly!” as Whoopi Goldberg lauded Handler for being “willing to talk” about her racial privilege.
