PoliticsChelsea Handler Denies Firing Comedian From Her Tour Over Palestine Support, Says She Chose to Quit: 'I Have the Emails From Your Agents'
Chelsea Handle pushed back against former tour opener Salma Hindy.
Sept. 18 2026, Updated 6:48 p.m. ET
Chelsea Handler has pushed back against a former tour opener who said that mentioning Palestine in one of their conversations got her axed.
The former tour opener, Salma Hindy, made the statement this week, and since then, the two have been publicly going back and forth regarding their dispute.
Hindy claimed that the reason she stopped working for Handler was because of discussions they had regarding Israel and Palestine, though the former late-night TV host released private messages that she says show otherwise.
Chelsea Handler claimed Salma Hindy quit the tour.
Hindy's Account
Hindy said in an Instagram video that after two January 2024 shows were canceled for weather, Handler's team covered her flight home but not her other travel and hotel costs.
On Wednesday, September 16, Hindy explained her version of events via Instagram. After reaching out to Handler in October 2023 to discuss Israel and Palestine, and discussing them again during their tour, she said things changed.
"That’s actually not what happened," Handler wrote back. "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."
In January 2024, two of their scheduled performances were canceled due to bad weather, according to Hindy, and while Handler's team paid for Hindy to fly back home, everything else related to travel and hotels wasn't compensated.
Eventually, Hindy pulled out of all remaining performances. She found out about the decision to deny her travel and hotel expense reimbursement through her representatives instead of receiving notice from Handler herself. She also felt that if she continued to push to get the expenses reimbursed, it would affect her working relationship with Handler.
Handler's Rebuttal
Handler responded by posting a text in which Hindy said she could no longer perform the final four shows, plus an October 2023 email offering her more dates.
Handler responded via her Instagram Stories on Thursday, September 17, with her own receipts. She posted a January 29, 2024, text where Hindy said she could no longer perform the final four shows. Next, she posted an October 2023 email where she'd offered Hindy multiple tour dates for next year.
Handler also posted an older email from 2022, showing she had agreed to pay for Hindy's travel costs.
"I have plenty more but I'll leave it here," she added, implying that scheduling and logistics issues were more responsible for the parting of ways than disagreements over politics.
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Dueling Claims
Hindy noted the email showing Handler agreed to cover travel costs was dated 2022, well before the canceled shows.
Hindy remained unconvinced by the evidence. She pointed out the email about paying for travel costs was dated 2022, therefore the payment would have been made well before the 2024 canceled shows and wouldn't pertain to what Hindy had claimed.
Two Comedians With Public Profiles
Hindy claimed Handler privately called the accusations libelous and contacted attorneys.
The situation has since become much more hostile. Hindy indicated that Handler had informed her privately that she views the accusations as libelous and has contacted attorneys in response. However, the Chelsea Lately alum hasn't announced any plans or intentions to pursue legal action in public.
