One of Chelsea Handler’s past interviews is now worth a second look amid recent controversy sparked by comments she made on a March 25 episode of Theo Von’s “This Past Weekend” podcast. The comedian appeared on “Good Morning America” in the 2014 clip to defend herself after a tweet pr omoting her book “Uganda Be Kidding Me” stirred up some controversy online. During the interview, ABC host George Stephanopoulos questioned Handler about a “tasteless” tweet made on March 2, 2014, the same night Lupita Nyong’o, a Mexican-born Kenyan, won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “12 Years a Slave.” “Congratulations #12yearsaslave Go to Africa or buy #ugandabekiddingme #aheadofthecurve #Oscars,” read the controversial tweet, which was also shared by Huffington Post at the time. @HuffingtonPost RACIST! RACIST! RACIST!— Harlem Belle (@cdiddylove) March 3, 2014 When pressed about the overall sentiment of her tweet, noting that many believed it crossed a line, Handler responded, “Well, people are always upset with me about something. I don’t take it personally.” Handler did eventually acknowledge for the tweets, seemingly offering an apology, which Stephanopoulos asked her about. “I said at the end, I’m sorry just for me. I wasn’t apol… that was before the backlash.” She went on to clarify that some of the tweets that night were not sent by her but by her “writers,” adding that it was “not a serious thing.” Handler defended using Lupita to promote her book, saying, “She’s African, so there is a connection.” (Photo by Chris Haston/WBTV via Getty Images). Check your local listings for times As for the public deeming her tweet as “r-cist” and “tasteless,” Handler believes that everyone has it all wrong. “I’m not a r-cist,” she said. “I date a lot of Black people, so that would be a difficult thing to explain to them.” This video came a decade before Handler’s recent remarks about Black men “appreciating” her more than white men and her mentioning she’s never dated an Asian man. On Von’s podcast, Handler suggested that Black men seem to “appreciate women like me more than white men” because they are not intimidated by her outspoken personality. She further elaborated that white men often feel “emasculated” by her strength, whereas Black men find her ways “cute.” Handler’s comments sparked immediate criticism on social media. “Maybe 50 cents like your type since you dated him. However, he doesn’t speak for all of us black men,” one viewer responded on Instagram. “Leave us black men out of this,” a second commenter stated. Across the web, Reddit users were sharing similar sentiments. “Yeah she’s just too much, don’t think it has to do anything with race,” said one Reddit user, followed by another who wrote, “Does anyone else feel like she makes dating black men too much of her personality lmao.” Still, this isn’t the first instance where Handler has faced backlash for insensitive racial comments, often defending herself by pointing to her dating history with African-American men as evidence of her non-bigoted views. Throughout her career, Handler has consistently referenced her relationships with Black men, including rapper 50 Cent whom she dated in 2010 following his appearance on her show. She has since referred to him as her “favorite ex” in various public statements. Another statement that made waves was when she went and bought a chocolate brown Bentley to impress him. Radio host and author Bevy Smith shed additional light on Handler’s behavior during a 2019 interview on Radio Andy. Smith recounted an incident at Sundance where Handler allegedly walked into a cocktail party and remarked, “Oh, you brought the blacks to the Saint Regis.” According to Smith, this wasn’t an isolated incident but part of a pattern of “vaguely racial” comments. Smith’s co-host, Loni Love, who has appeared with Handler on various projects, defended Handler by suggesting she had “evolved,” pointing to Handler’s Netflix documentary on white privilege. Smith quickly countered, claiming Handler’s evolution came “because I told her about herself” and that 50 Cent had also educated her during their relationship. As backlash continues, many question whether Handler’s claimed evolution is genuine or merely performative and whether her history of dating Black men truly absolves her of responsibility for racially charged comments. Social media users have pointed out that using one’s dating history as a shield is problematic, as it reduces complex human relationships to mere tokens. Though Handler has not yet responded to the latest criticism, her past behavior suggests she’s unlikely to issue a genuine apology. ‘I Date a Lot of Black People’: ‘Tasteless’ Chelsea Handler Interview Gets Second Look Following Backlash Over Saying Black Men Appreciate Her More than White Men ...read more read less