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Chelsea Handler Sets the Record Straight on Her So-Called Feud with Heather McDonald
Here's what the late-night host thinks about her former employee these days.
Chelsea Handler and Heather McDonald gave us the celebrity feud we never knew we wanted in January 2016 when they exchanged words about working with each other on Chelsea Lately. But not so fast, according to Chelsea.
The late-night host gave an update on where her supposed beef with Heather stands today during Thursday night's Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen After Show. "We didn't have a feud. We really didn't. It was just blown out of proportion," Chelsea told one audience member who asked if there was still bad blood between the comedians during WWHL's week of tapings in Los Angeles. "And yes, I'm sure we've settled it. I haven't seen her."
The perceived tension between Chelsea and Heather began when Heather appeared on the podcast Allegedly... with Theo Von & Matthew Cole Weiss in January 2016. She said she "lived in fear" of losing her job as a writer on Chelsea Lately, and she felt blindsided by the host's departure from the late-night show after eight seasons. When Chelsea got wind of Heather's comments, she added fuel to the fire during an interview on The Howard Stern Show, accusing the fellow comedian of trading stories about her to Us Weekly in exchange for having her photo run in the magazine. "I could have fired her. I did not fire her. She had a job for four more years. I never hung out with her personally again," Chelsea said. "So I hope she was living in fear. It's not an internment camp. If you're that fearful, then get a job."
Chelsea also defended her decision to not tell Heather that Chelsea Lately was ending. "Why the f*** would I talk to her about what I was doing?" she told Howard Stern. "She's a writer on my show. She's not my partner."
Heather later set the record straight on her podcast, Juicy Scoop. She denied the claim that she ever traded stories about Chelsea or any other celebrity to Us Weekly or any other publication. She also said her quote about living "in fear" of being fired was "taken out of context." "I was asked if I was afraid of being let go from the show, and the tabloids took one sentence out of an hour-long podcast and ran it as a headline. Chelsea herself said she didn't even listen to the whole interview," Heather explained. "And I feel badly if she or anyone else misunderstood me, as I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked for her."
Heather told ET last May that she had no issue with Chelsea. “You know, that’s what happens when things get taken out of context … we became The Real Housewives of Stand-Up. Quite honestly, I really started to feel for the girls when I went through that week," Heather said. "But no, we’re good, we’ve talked, and we’re fine.”
Besides, Chelsea said she would never have a feud with Heather. "I don't have a feud with her. Of course not," Chelsea said on Thursday night's WWHL After Show. "She's a girl. I don't fight with other girls."
But would Chelsea, aka BFF to Jennifer Aniston, start a feud with Angelina Jolie if she found herself stuck in an elevator with the actress? Find out, below.
