Chelsea Handler says she would give up her house to solve racism

Prior to Handler arriving at the studio to speak to Smith, Smith and her sister engaged in a little heart-to-heart about how awful white people who don't recognize their privilege are.

"It's hard to find people, specifically white people, who want to talk about it," the millionaire and award-winning Hollywood darling said.

"Y'know," Smith's sister said, "mommy used to always tell us, when you're born white you're born with your foot in the door, and that's real talk, that's the truth." The two stood in a garden with the sounds of bird chirping in the background.

"A lot of white people don't feel like that though," Smith said.

Big hugs ensued all around when Handler arrived, and they all greeted each other joyously. "I'm really excited to have you here," Smith said when they sat down at the table, "because white privilege, this is the topic that we talk about a lot, and I know you're a straight shooter."

Handler explained that she'd spent her entire life "being angry at men for disappointing" her after her brother died when she was 9-years-old. This, she said, is why she never wanted dependents. Smith praised Handler for "doing the work" and discussed Handler's "controversial documentary," called "Hello Privilege, it's me Chelsea."

The documentary was about white privilege and it earned Handler some serious anti-racism points with Smith. The documentary opens with Handler saying "I have been the beneficiary of white privilege, and I want to know how to be a better white person to people of color."

Handler notably said that she had to remind rapper 50 Cent "he was a black person" after he supported President Trump in 2020. She also claimed that Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, convicted in the death of George Floyd, didn't deserve due process.

In her documentary, Handler parrots anti-racist talking points, like saying that that white people "need to stop asking black people to solve our problems." She went out man-on-the-street style to speak to white people and confront them with their privilege.

"I had to get therapy before I shot this," Handler said.

"I understand," Smith laughed, along with her sister.

"But I had to learn to sit instead of talk," Handler said.

Smith asked if she felt any guilt about her past privilege, and of course, Handler did. She spoke about how she'd been "rewarded" in Hollywood for her bad behavior, like drinking and "telling celebrities how stupid they were." She said black women would never have gotten away with that.

"Never!" Smith rejoined.

Handler said she told herself, "You are the beneficiary of white privilege to such an extent that you are 'the American white dream.'"

"Got it," Smith said.

Smith wanted to know about the moment when Handler's "heart cracked open and there was a level of compassion that made you go 'Chelsea, we have to understand how we're participating in this white privilege idea.'"

For Handler, it all started with her black boyfriend in high school, with whose child she became pregnant at 16-years-old. Smith's sister accused Handler of having a "white savior thing." She interviewed this boyfriend for her documentary on white privilege. Her then-boyfriend, who went on to become a drug dealer, said she had "the complexion for the connection," and that's why she always skated out of trouble.

"White privilege didn't occur to me, I grew up thinking the police were there to protect me," she said, noting that for black people, being pulled over is "a life or death experience."

In 2022, out of 1060 persons shot and killed by police, 272 of them were black, 331 were white, 336 were of an unknown race, while the remainder were Hispanic, Asian or Native American. All but 44 of those killed were male.

"I had a lot of revelation in watching your documentary," Smith said, "seeing how white people could actually be confused by the idea of white privilege and why there would be some white people who believe that white privilege is non-existent."

Smith's sister was surprised that Smith was surprised. "I was surprised, yes," Smith said, "because privilege, to a lot of people, is related to money." Smith's estimated net worth is estimated at about $50 million.

"That's how I thought of it," Handler said. She recalled reading a line somewhere that said "For many people, equality seems like a loss," saying she's very big on one-line takeaways.

And she asked herself "What would I be willing to give up in the name of equality? If you were to say to me, 'hey, give me your house and everything is going to be fair and equal, sure, of course I would.' But what would individuals who have nothing to give be okay with giving?"

"Right!" Smith said.