Chelsea Handler Slammed After Joking Ariana Grande 'Found Love With a Munchkin' at 2025 Critics' Choice Awards: 'No One Laughed'

Chelsea Handler's opening monologue at the 2025 Critics' Choice Awards fell flat with Ariana Grande fans.

While speaking about Wicked, which has been nominated for several awards at the upscale event, Handler made an awkward joke referencing Grande and costar Ethan Slater's romance.

"And now, Ariana has even found love with a munchkin," she said, only earning a smattering of laughter from the audience. "That's good news, everybody!"

As the clip made rounds on social media, the award show host's sense of humor was criticized by viewers.

One X user wrote, "NOT CHELSEA HANDLER CALLING OUT ARIANA FOR ETHAN??? SHE WENT THERE," and another added, "Omg Chelsea Handler, Arianators are gonna kill ya."

A third person claimed, "No one laughed nor did the camera pan to Ariana LOLOL," and a fourth quipped, "Chelsea Handler keeps going silent like expecting everyone to laugh, girl this is a chop……."

Another person jabbed, "If Chelsea Handler’s voice was any more grating she’d be a human paper shredder."

As OK! previously reported, Grande and Slater have been linked since summer 2023.

"It was obvious on the set from early on … they were very sweet to each other and often seen laughing together," a source spilled to People at the time. "Everyone just thought they were both happily married, though, and didn’t expect them to end up dating."

Grande's split from ex Dalton Gomez was confirmed in July 2023. Soon after, she sparked rumors of romance with Slater, who was still legally married to wife Lilly Jay. The timeline led many online critics to suspect their relationship began before their respective splits.

However, Grande appeared to deny the rumors in a September 2024 interview.

"There couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him," Grande said of Slater. "No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about."

Slater also admitted it had been "difficult" to deal with the gossip surrounding his marriage and new relationship.

"There were a lot of big changes in private lives that were really happening," he explained. "So it’s really hard to see people who don’t know anything about what’s happening commenting on it and speculating, and then getting things wrong about the people you love."