Chelsea Handler On Louis C.K. And Aziz Ansari Returning To Comedy: ‘They Have To Address What Happened’

By Corey Atad. Published: 19 Sep 2018 8:46 AM

Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

Chelsea Handler thinks Louis C.K. and Aziz Ansari need to do a bit more open self-reflection before making their comeback to comedy.

In recent weeks, the comedians, who have been caught in their own #MeToo scandals, returned to comedy club stages with new material but Handler told the Huffington Post in a new interview that both C.K. and Ansari failed to do the “only thing they have to do.”

“They have to address what happened. People want to talk about it,” Handler explained. “You can’t just ignore and throw it under the rug. You have to talk about what you’ve learned, where you’ve come from, and where you are now.”

Last year, C.K. acknowledged inappropriate behaviour after being accused by several women of unwanted sexual advances. In January, Ansari was accused by an anonymous woman of sexual assault during a date, though the comedian has said the encounter was consensual.

“I think that’s the issue everyone has with it and why it’s such a big deal. You can’t just come back and act like nothing happened ― you did a bad thing ― depending on which person you’re talking about,” Handler added. “It’s about taking responsibility, ultimately.”

Handler also talked about her upcoming seven-stop tour of Canada with the marijuana lifestyle magazine Civilized.

“I’m always looking for an excuse to spend more time in Canada, so this is a great one,” she said. “I’m waiting for an invitation for dual Canadian citizenship ― so get that out there, too.”