Tony Hinchcliffe has unleashed a profanity-laden rant against Chelsea Handler after she criticised him and Shane Gillis as 'racist' for their jokes at Netflix's notorious Roast of Kevin Hart. The 41-year-old comedian launched an unrelenting attack on Handler's appearance, age, and career during the latest episode of his live comedy podcast, Kill Tony, released on Monday.
Hinchcliffe's Explosive Response
Hinchcliffe did not hold back, stating: 'She was a bit of a c***. I'll tell you that. She just kept coming at me. She said I took the Saudi Arabia money. She was wrong about things. The writers just didn't do her any justice.' The Ohio native revealed that he faced a disadvantage during the roast, as the teleprompter malfunctioned only during his set. However, he used the opportunity to target Handler, who had directed several jokes at him earlier in the evening.
'But then the teleprompter, the fun fact, the teleprompter only went down during my set. And it gave me a lot of opportunity to remind Chelsea Handler what she looks like and where her life is because she had it coming,' Hinchcliffe explained. He criticised the structure of the roast, arguing that putting well-performing comedians at the end was unfair, as some viewers might tune out before their sets.
'So what they don't realise though because they want to go up early when the crowd's all fresh, is that I'm sitting there watching what they are doing. So when Chelsea kept coming at me, I'm like 'oh, I am going to f*** this b**** up,'' he added.
Accusations of Racism and Backlash
Earlier in his rant, Hinchcliffe blasted media coverage of the roast, which he claimed suggested Handler 'lit' him up. He also slammed fellow comedians for branding him as gay and a Nazi. 'That was the first time I have been called a Nazi multiple times in just a few hours, I guess that's what LA writers rooms are like,' he said. 'All of these mentally ill liberals out there that somehow with all these f***in Blacks and Jews and Mexicans around me. I guess I'm a f***ing Nazi somehow.'
Hinchcliffe then targeted the roast panel, which included many actors. 'I was called that by a bunch of people that have never written anything in their lives that literally have just been reading cue cards and teleprompters every project they've ever done with the inability to improvise whatsoever,' he stated. 'No opportunity to have their own thought. They just read what the writers wrote for them without any originality whatsoever.'
Handler's Criticism of Hinchcliffe and Gillis
The podcast release came days after Handler took aim at Hinchcliffe and Gillis for their controversial sets at the Netflix roast. During an appearance on Deon Cole's Funny Knowing You podcast, Handler accused both comedians of crossing the line. 'I knew enough about Tony and Shane – they're racists, they're bigots, they're sexist,' Handler said. 'I don't find those jokes funny. Lynching Black people is not a joke. It's worse than rape.'
She also called out jokes involving Sherryl Underwood's late husband. 'There was so much disgustingness, I knew it was gonna be a gross vibe,' she claimed.
Gillis's Epstein Joke and Hinchcliffe's George Floyd Comment
During the roast, host Gillis introduced Handler with a jab referencing her attendance at a 2010 dinner party hosted by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. 'Chelsea is a Zionist. I'm not saying that's good or bad. Speaking of dead kids, she's a big fan of abortions. Chelsea's been scraped more times than the grill at Benihana,' Gillis said. He then added: 'Speaking of tossing tiny shrimp into a child's mouth, Chelsea Handler went to dinner at Jeffrey Epstein's house in 2010.' Gillis later defended the bit, insisting it was 'a fun' joke.
Handler has previously addressed the dinner party, claiming she 'didn't know who Jeffrey Epstein was' at the time and describing the evening as 'so awkward and so weird.' The gathering reportedly included Prince Andrew, Woody Allen, Soon-Yi Previn, Katie Couric, George Stephanopoulos, and Charlie Rose.
However, the most controversial joke of the night came from Hinchcliffe, who made a jab about George Floyd. 'The Black community is so proud of you… right now George Floyd is looking up at us all laughing so hard he can't breathe,' Hinchcliffe said during the roast. The comment ignited immediate outrage online.
Handler's Blistering Retort at the Roast
Handler did not stay silent during her own set and fired back at both comics with a string of insults, especially targeting Hinchcliffe, who had referred to her as a 'cold frigid b****.' 'Tony and Shane, this must be so exciting for you guys. Usually on Sunday nights, you just burn a cross on someone's lawn, and tonight you get to roast a whole Black guy… If you're here tonight, who's keeping Joe Rogan's balls warm in their mouth?' she quipped.
She continued her takedown of Hinchcliffe: 'Tony is what happens when women don't have safe access to abortion care… I didn't know veneers came in deli mustard yellow. You must be using Crest White Supremacist Strips.' She added: 'Tony, you have the face of a school shooter and the personality of someone who gets shot first.'
While Handler avoided directly responding to Gillis's Epstein joke during the roast, she made pointed references to his past controversy surrounding anti-Asian slurs that led to his firing from Saturday Night Live. 'Shane, just so you know Judaism and Zionism are two different things. Kind of like how Chinatown and Koreatown are two different things, but your favourite slur works in both places,' she said. She then added: 'Shane has been accused of being anti-Asian which is ironic, considering he has the complexion and physique of a steamed dumpling.' The jab appeared to land with Gillis himself, who was seen laughing at the remark.
Hart Defends Hinchcliffe
Meanwhile, Kevin Hart has defended Hinchcliffe, praising his roast performance and insisting he 'understood the assignment.' 'He was relentless as he always is, but funny,' Hart said following criticism surrounding the special.
