This may be one of the Mad Libs story of the year, and it begins with an appearance by Chelsea Handler on Literally!, the podcast of Rob Lowe. The story itself concerns a dinner party, Chelsea Handler, Katie Couric, and four men of some considerable ignominy: Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew, Charlie Rose, and Woody Allen, and also Allen’s wife, Soon-Yi Previn.
It more immediately concerns rumors that Chelsea Handler had once attended a dinner party held by Jeffrey Epstein. Handler confirmed that it was true. She actually went to the party with Katie Couric, of all people (George Stephanopoulos was reportedly also in attendance). The guest list included the above, in addition to publicist Peggy Siegal, who had invited Handler as a sort of setup for Prince Andrew. It was also “a long time ago,” and Handler did not stay very long.
“When we got there I was like, ‘What is this gathering?’” Handler told Lowe on the podcast. “We had dinner and it was so awkward and so weird. I was like what are we doing here? And then I asked Woody Allen how he and Soon Yi met, and that was when I left.”
“Wait a minute,” Lowe asked. “You asked Woody Allen how he and Soon Yi met?”
“At that point of the night, I was like this is such a ridiculous dinner party, who are these people?” Handler told Lowe, adding that Woody Allen was sitting next to her. “I really was curious! I had forgotten for a moment, but as soon as it came out of my mouth, I knew that it was too late.”
The kicker is that Woody Allen was actually amused by the question, because in the company of those men, of course he was! “And he loved [the question],” Handler said. “And Soon Yi, I don’t think she heard it and Katie looked at me and was like, ‘Let’s go,’”
And that was that. She never saw Epstein again. “I’ve never been onto the private island, and I’ve never been on his plane. I’ve met him one time and that was the time.”
Handler can be seen in her most recent stand-up specials, Hello, Privilege. It’s Me, Chelsea on Netflix, and Chelsea Handler: Evolution on HBO Max.
Source: Literally! with Rob Lowe
