Netflix forced Chelsea Handler to undergo sexual harassment training for smacking woman’s butt

Chelsea Handler revealed that while filming her upcoming Netflix documentary, the streaming giant forced her to take sexual harassment training after she slapped a woman’s butt on the first day of shooting.

The former late-night talk show host said after day one of filming her new documentary Hello Privilege. It’s Me, Chelsea, she attended an open mic beatnik night at the University of Southern California where she was so impressed with a black singer, she hugged her and ‘smacked’ her butt. 

But what the 44-year-old thought was a sign of affection, turned into a very big lesson on personal boundaries.

‘I had to take sexual harassment training from Netflix right out of the gate,’ Handler said on Jimmy Kimmel Live Monday night. 

A ‘big wake up call’: Handler revealed that on the first day of shooting she attended an open mic night and hugged a black woman who performed and affectionately smacked her butt. The next day Netflix called her to say the woman was offended

‘This black woman sang this great song, and I was sitting behind her. When she got up, I gave her a hug to say great job, and kind of smacked her on the butt,’ Handler explained. ‘That’s my sign of affection … It’s not a sexual affront because I’m straight — or so I thought.’

The following day Netflix called the comedian to say the woman was very offended by Handler’s smack and she’d be forced to attend sexual harassment training.  

At first Handler was defensive, but after speaking with the woman, she realized she was in the wrong. 

‘They said, “This girl was very upset. The woman you touched on the ass”. I didn’t even remember it. And immediately I became defensive. I was like, “Oh no. I’m not hitting on her!” And they were like, “That’s not the issue.”‘

Handler then spoke to the woman on the phone. 

‘Once I heard about how it was received rather than my intention, that was a big wake up call. It’s not about how you mean it, it’s about how that person takes it as. So, that was the first lesson at of the gate,’ Handler said Monday night

Handler’s documentary Hello, Privilege. It’s Me Chelsea premieres this Friday, September 13.

‘She said, “For years and years and years, black women have been defined by their hair and their asses. You have no right to touch my body.”‘ 

‘Once I heard about how it was received rather than my intention, that was a big wake up call. It’s not about how you mean it, it’s about how that person takes it as. So, that was the first lesson at of the gate,’ Handler told the late night host.

In true comedian fashion, Handler joked with Netflix executives and asked if she was allowed to touch ‘white people’ or if it’s ‘just a black thing’. 

Netflix didn’t find her joke quite as comical. 

‘They were like, “Stop touching people altogether! Don’t do that,”‘ she said. 

Kimmel then asked if the sensitivity training was effective. Handler agreed it was saying ‘you need to know the rules’

Handler joked that now Netflix keeps a ‘close eye’ on the comedian 

‘It’s very hard for me, because I’m a very affectionate person. I do inappropriate things. I’m lucky that I don’t have a talk show in this era, because I would have lost it. Because I grab people by their breasts that I’m friendly with,’ Handler added. 

Kimmel then asked if the sensitivity training was effective. Handler agreed it was saying ‘you need to know the rules’.

‘Wow, I didn’t know Netflix was so strict with that sort of thing,’ Kimmel said. 

‘Yeah,’ Handler conceded. ‘They keep close eyes on me, for some reason.’ 

Handler’s documentary Hello, Privilege. It’s Me Chelsea premieres this Friday, September 13.